Monolithic 650-V Dual-Gate p-GaN Bidirectional Switch

This article is about the study and characterization of a monolithically integrated dual-gate bidirectional switch (BDS) realized in a CMOS-compatible gallium nitride (GaN) pilot line. The switch is based on a p-GaN gate enhancement-mode (E-mode) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) rated for 650 V and provides a symmetrical electrical operation in positive and negative bias conditions while achieving comparable performance to the traditional HEMT and, with respect to the implementation of conventional BDSs, the overall on-resistance is sensibly lower. Several layout variations are discussed both through the electrical measurements and technology CAD (TCAD) simulations, together with comparisons with the reference HEMT, providing valuable insights into the design optimization of dual-gate BDSs.