GaN boost from PCB packaged power project

A project in the UK is developing packaged power functions such as a half bridge with pre-packaged gallium nitride (GaN) devices for lower cost, weight and size. 

The Pre-packaged Power devices for PCB Embedded Power (P3EP) project has been developing capabilities to support PCB-embedded power systems. It is using intelligent GaN devices from Cambridge GaN Devices, embedded packaging expertise from RAM Innovations and board level support from Cambridge Microelectronics, University of Nottingham spinout TTPi and the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult and led by Swindon distributor PPM Power.

Until now there has been no accessible supply chain for embedded power electronics, says project lead Joe Petrie, product marketing manager at PPM Power in the UK. The P3EP project enables the UK PEMD industry to deliver smaller, lighter, more reliable power solutions for a wide range of markets.

Pre-packages have major advantages over bare die as hey allow testing, characterisation, and reliability qualification before devices have been embedded and the system PCBs have been populated. This avoids issues with faulty embedded die that could not be tested before the final product was assembled. 

• CGD heads for higher power GaN
• Sarawak comes to UK with CSAC deal
• Power device packaging line for UK

Pre-packages allow interim testing and therefore ensure an optimised yield in a PEMD system. Furthermore, pre-packages use materials with optimised compatibility with the die, enabling much-simplified embedding into the system-PCB. This should allow power electronics manufacturers in the UK the capability to build converters with the highest power densities, says Petrie.

The project has developed supply chain capabilities for GaN chips and copper metallisations, production capability for GaN pre-packages, including single die, multiple die and half-bridge arrangements, and the digital toolchain for customisation of pre-packages and embedded power sub-systems. The results have characterised the electrical, thermal and reliability performance of device, pre-package, and embedded subsystems at CSAC in Newport, Wales.

Though the potential of GaN to boost conversion efficiencies and increase power densities is universally acknowledged, making it practical for OEMs to use in their designs is still proving to be challenging,” said Nigel Salter, general manager at RAM Innovations. “P3EP is all about establishing a robust and effective supply chain that will take the GaN devices being developed by innovative semiconductor vendors out of the lab and into the real world.”

“The automotive, aerospace and industrial sectors need access to module-based solutions that are simple for them to work with, and can be incorporated into existing production flows. These need to be readily available in high volumes,” adds Geoff Haynes, Product Development Manager at RAM.

“Through our involvement in P3EP, we are helping to align the sourcing of wide bandgap power modules with the expectations of OEMs and systems integrators. This will mean there is a channel that they can constantly rely on, with the ability to quickly ramp up from initial samples to production level quantities.”   

Power systems with embedded WBG devices based on the P3EP approach will improve weight, size and efficiency of the power converters. These aspects are particularly important for automotive and more-electric aerospace applications that are early adopters of the technology.

Over 34 months, the P3EP project will focus on embedding GaN. However, the approach can also be applied to other semiconductor materials such as Silicon Carbide or even silicon.