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Technical Dialogue

GaN and SiC Devices and Modules

D07.5 - Switching Performance Comparison of Low-Voltage GaN and Si Devices

Thursday, March 20, 2025
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM ET
Location: Level One, Hall A3
This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of the switching performance of low-voltage (100V) Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors and Silicon (Si) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), featuring some of the lowest Rds(on) devices on the market. Key performance parameters, including turn-on and turn-off switching losses, gate driver losses, and lumped Rds(on), are evaluated using an indirect non-invasive method. Results show that GaN devices achieve at least 42% lower turn-off losses, 45% lower turn-on losses, and 71% lower gate driver losses compared to Si counterparts. However, GaN devices are highly sensitive to dead-time control, requiring precise tuning to fully exploit their low turn-off losses. Additionally, GaN devices exhibit a lumped dynamic Rds(on) 3–4 times higher than static values at 1MHz, posing concerns for high-conduction-loss applications. These findings underscore the trade-offs between GaN and Si devices in optimizing low-voltage converter designs.