Susceptibility to Radio Frequency Interference of eGaN Power Switching Legs

Power switching circuits like those used in inverters and DC-DC converters are usually investigated with the purpose of increasing the power efficiency or lowering the electromagnetic emissions. Considered that, the reliability of such modules is also a key aspect, especially in safety critical applications, this work focuses on the susceptibility of such circuits to radio frequency interference. To this purpose, an e-mode GaN power switching leg in a real application environment is considered. A circuit comprising the nominal active and passive components, their stray inductances and capacitances as well as those due to the PCB wiring is presented. The effect of radio frequency interference injected into the output terminal by means of a bulk current injection clamp is analyzed with the purpose of evaluating the risk that such interference propagated through the circuit could induce temporary or permanent failures.