Analysis of IGBT and GaN Based Hybrid Switch Under Diverse Switching Conditions

In half-bridge circuits, paralleling devices is a common strategy to boost current handling capacity and cost-effectiveness, addressing the limitations of individual components. A significant advancement in power electronics is the parallel operation of Si/SiC MOSFETs and Si IGBTs. However, GaN devices offer even greater efficiency and higher frequency operation than SiC. This study investigates the use of a hybrid switch combining IGBTs and GaN MOSFETs and further, analyzes switching losses under various operating scenarios, considering different turn-on and turn-off delays. The results reveal that introducing a controlled delay between the turn-off of the IGBT and the GaN device minimizes switching losses. This approach achieves a remarkable 50% reduction in losses compared to simultaneous switching. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the performance and reliability of hybrid power switches in high-power applications.