Evaluation and Characterization of 650-V Bidirectional GaN Devices

This paper presents the evaluation of a 650-V bidirectional GaN device for static characteristics and dynamic performance in high $d v / d t$ and $d i / d t$ operations. The device evaluation becomes challenging due to its unique structure and characteristics. The static characterization of the 650-V GaN is described, including the evaluation setup and design considerations. Using the proposed static evaluation setup, the device I-V curves and C-V curves for both directions are evaluated. The bidirectional switch dynamic evaluation setup is also illustrated for its principles and optimization considerations for managing high $d v / d t$ and $d i / d t$. The dynamic evaluation results demonstrate the bidirectional GaN device’s symmetrical dynamic characteristics, achieving a peak $d v / d t$ of 94.1 V/ns and a peak $d i / d t$ of 5.01 A/ns.