Monolithically Integrated Power Converter Based on Etching-Free p-GaN HEMTs by Hydrogen Plasma Treatment Technology

This paper introduces a GaN power IC platform based on the novel hydrogen (H) plasma treatment technique to eliminate the p-GaN gate etch and improve device performance. A device advanced SPICE model (ASM) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) is made and validated from experimental results. A monolithically integrated GaN power stage with gate driver is demonstrated for DC-DC converters, where the remaining components are discrete. The contributions of this paper may include 1) implementation of an etching-free hydrogen-treated p-GaN technology on a 4-inch wafer, enabling 10 A/800 V application; 2) design technology co-optimization (DTCO) via ASM simulation and experimental verification; 3) monolithic GaN IC with gate driver and power device used to a 48 V/1 V floating buck conversion. This work lays the foundation for the H-treated technology for smart all-GaN power systems.