Progress and Current Topics of JEDEC JC-70.1 Power GaN Device Quality and Reliability Standards Activity: Or: What is the Avalanche capability of your GaN Transistor?

“What is the avalanche (UIS or unclamped inductive switching) capability of a GaN based power transistor?” is a question that is commonly posed in supplier / customer interactions today. The history, motivation and use of this rating (as applied to silicon based power MOSFETs) will be reviewed and its suitability for use with GaN based power HEMTs considered. UIS testing methods and standards are shown not to be a relevant gage of application robustness for GaN based power devices. Thus, for GaN devices, a gap exists between designer needs and existing industry standards. The state of supplier ratings to meet the gap is briefly highlighted and demonstrates why JEDEC subcommittee JC-70.1 should create relevant new standards for GaN overvoltage/ surge robustness. Finally, a brief review of overall JEDEC JC-70.1 scope, structure, process, and progress is provided.