One Sided GaN-Based Buck Converter Layout Optimization by Minimizing Power Loop Parasitics and Considering Heat Dissipation Efficiency

GaN is an excellent selection for implementation in the transportation industry due to its high switching frequency, high power density, and high breakdown voltage. The aim of this paper is to develop a one-sided DC/DC 48V/12V GaN-based Buck converter that is simple to design and manufacturing for laboratory experiments and testing, revealing its advantages over double-sided converters. Three different layouts are suggested and compared in this investigation in order to optimize the power loop layout by minimizing its parasitic elements; those latter are extracted using Ansys software “Q3D tool” and then included in an electrical model in the waveform viewer software “LTspice” to evaluate their impacts on the switching node signal “Vsw” of the half bridge configuration. An examination of current density and pathing in each layout is also presented in this study. Simple calculations are performed for thermal management, which end up resulting in the selection of a heatsink as a cooling solution. At 1 MHz cut-off frequency, the layout chosen have a power loop inductance of 0.73nH, which results in decreased ringing phenomena.