Using GaN-based system-in-

packages to improve power

converter designs

Ester Spitale Jakub Jirsa

STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics
 Agenda

1 GaN properties & fast switching

2 GaN in quasi-resonant flyback (QR)

3 GaN in soft switching: ACF and LLC

4 GaN in hard switching: totem pole PFC

5 ST´s offer for GaN: smart system-in-

package

2
GaN properties and fast switching
 GaN vs. Silicon (1/2)
Materials with wide-bandgap (WBG)

• Can withstand higher electrical fields  higher voltage can be applied

• Electrons have a higher mobility and saturation velocity
• Transistors switch faster
• Devices can be smaller for a given on resistance and breakdown voltage

Si GaN
up to 3
Si GaN
x 10
4
 GaN vs. Silicon (2/2)

Higher Higher
frequencies efficiency • GaN is ideal for high frequency operation with low
switching losses.
Higher • Thanks to higher frequency operation on-circuit
System
power
downsizing passive components using GaN can be
density
downsized.
Enabling • HEMT lateral structure enables integration and a
integration new wave of smart power electronics.

5
Growth in GaN accelerating

6
 Wide-bandgap trends vs technology adoption

• In consumer, GaN crossed the chasm in 2020-

2021 due to rapid growth in fast chargers, and is
now being deployed in other AC/DC applications.
• System-in-package with embedded
drivers/controllers (MasterGaN, VIPerGaN) will
contribute to adoption due to simplicity of
integration.
Early Early Late
Innovators Laggards
Adopters Majority Majority

"The
Chasm"

GaN Technology Adoption Process

7
 Silicon & wide-bandgap
power devices positioning
Higher power is achieved
through modular
1 MW
ST Manufacturing deployment or paralleling
strategy devices
100 kW

SiC MOSFET
10 kW
System power level [W]

Si IGBT 200mm
1 kW
300mm 150mm

100 W 200mm Si MOSFET

GaN Transistor
10 W
200mm 200mm

1W
1 Hz 10 Hz 100 Hz 1 kHz 10 kHz 100 kHz 1 MHz 10 MHz

Operating frequency [Hz]

8
 Usage of GaN in power conversion
most common topologies
Power

Zero current switching Soft switching Hard switching

Active Clamp Flyback Half-bridge LLC Totem-Pole

Flyback QR
(ACF) Resonant Bridgeless CCM
AC/DC AC/DC DC/DC AC/DC (PFC)

Auxiliary SMPS Industrial & telecom SMPS

Chargers/adapters < 100W Chargers/adapters > 100W

9
 Usage of GaN in power conversion
most common topologies
Power

Zero current switching Soft switching Hard switching

Active Clamp Flyback Half-bridge LLC Totem-Pole

Flyback QR
(ACF) Resonant Bridgeless CCM
AC/DC AC/DC DC/DC AC/DC (PFC)

Why GaN? Why GaN? Why GaN? Why GaN?

• Lower parasitic capacitances
• Lower losses
→ increasing efficiency
→ increasing frequency
(to reduce size of magnetic)
• Lower parasitic capacitances
• Lower losses
→ increasing efficiency
→ increasing frequency
(to reduce size of magnetic)
• Lower parasitic capacitances
• Lower gate losses
→ increasing efficiency
→ increasing frequency
(to reduce size of magnetic)
• No reverse recovery of the diode
• Lower parasitic capacitances
• Lower losses
→ increasing efficiency
10
 GaN in quasi-resonant flyback (QR)

Zero current switching

Flyback QR
AC/DC
 Schematic of flyback topology
Leakage
Vbus

IClamp ISEC Vout

Vbus

No ZVS
IMOS
turn-on
Vin
VDS
CTRL

VDS
ISEC

IClamp

To heat
• Simplest isolated topology for SMPS up to 100W at TVS
IMOS

• Starting from few tens W quasi-resonant (QR)

operation suggested to reduce the switching losses
PWM PWM
12
 GaN reduces output capacitance energy
Output capacitance energy value is important parameter for many topologies where Coss energy is
dissipating. During the hard switching, energy of output capacitance is being dissipated to the heat.

Nonlinear Output capacitance - Coss stored energy

• PLossCoss = fsw * EOSS (VDS)

Si (STO67N60DM6)
• EOSS: output capacitor stored energy
• fsw: switching frequency of the transistor

SiC (SCTH35N65G2V-7)

At valley voltage, Si and SiC MOSFETs has

much higher Eoss than equivalent GaN
GaN 650V/ 50mΩ

13
 GaN in flyback
High power in small packages with high efficiency
VIPer53-E VIPer31 VIPerGaN50

PowerSO-10 SO-16 QFN5x6

40W device * 20W device * 50W device *
29 W/cm2 34 W/cm2 166 W/cm2
~85% peak eff. 87% peak eff. 92% peak eff.

*typical maximum power of wide-range design, this power per package area, peak efficiency of our eval boards 14
 Single switch flyback with GaN
50W / 15V - QR flyback 45W / USB PD - QR flyback

USB Type-C® output

On daughter board

Isolated QR flyback converter with adaptive synchronous rectification 45W USB Type-C® Power Delivery 3.0 charger based on VIPERGAN50,
SRK1001, and STUSB4761
115 VAC 230 VAC
No load cons. 49 mW 60 mW • VIN = 90VAC ~ 265VAC 115 VAC 230 VAC • VIN = 90VAC ~ 265VAC
Aver. Eff 90.5% 90.1% • VOUT = +15V • PD output profile =
No load cons. < 30 mW • 5V/9V/12V/15V @ 3 A
Peak Eff. 91.1% 92.2% • IOUT = 3.3A
• 20 V @ 2.25 A
Eff.@ 10% load 88.4% 84.6% • POUT_tot = 50W Max. Eff @full load 91.5%
• POUT_max = 45W
• TAMBmax = 60°C
VIPerGaN50 PWM controller with 650V GaN Eff.@ 10% load 88% 83% • TAMBmax = 60°C

15
 VIPerGaN50
45W USB Power Delivery thermals and efficiency
Check application note AN5813 for more details
230Vac/20V@2.5A bottom view

SR
MOS

Bridge
VIPerGaN Snubber SRK1001

115Vac/20V@2.5A bottom view

SR
MOS

VIPerGaN Snubber
Bridge SRK1001
16
GaN in soft switching: active clamp
flyback (ACF) and LLC resonant

Soft switching

Active Clamp Flyback Half-bridge LLC

(ACF) Resonant
AC/DC DC/DC
 Schematic of active clamp flyback topology
Leakage

IClamp ISEC Vout

ZVS
VDS turn-on
IMOS
CTRL

Vin ISEC

VDS IClamp

Energy
stored Energy
IMOS discharged
Advantages:
• ZVS turn-on
• Energy of transformer leakage is not dissipated, but
is used for achieving ZVS condition for MOSFET
LS HS LS
Higher efficiency than
QR single switch flyback! 18
 65W active clamp flyback with GaN
Size reduction
Power density > 27 W / in3 Efficiency 94% @ full load
Working also on solution
with planar transformer

Efficiency [%]

Pout [W]

Size: 58 x 32 X 21 mm

• MasterGaN1 600V GaN based half-bridge with GaN - 150 mΩ typ. Size: 54 x 31 X 25 mm
• Dedicated digital ACF controller with synch. rectification

19
GaN in soft switching: active clamp
flyback (ACF) and LLC resonant

Soft switching

Active Clamp Flyback Half-bridge LLC

(ACF) Resonant
AC/DC DC/DC
 GaN has dramatically lower gate charge
Gate charging is process of charging input capacitance of transistor from the voltage source through
gate resistors. This process generates losses on these resistors. Losses are given by equation:
Rectangle ef energy
 PGateDrive = fsw * VCC * QG Gate charge chart

 QG: extracted from datasheet

SiC (SCTH35N65G2V-7)
 VCC: supply voltage of gate driver
 fsw: switching frequency of the transistor
34x higher Si (STO67N60DM6)

GaN MOSFET offers, at the same Rdson,

~30x lower gate charge compared to Si/SiC,
28x higher
which result in lower gate driver losses.

21
GaN 650V/ 50mΩ
 Comparing of gate driving losses in LLC topology
MasterGaN1
VCC consumption [mW]
VCC (6V) in LLC at 500kHz DM6 vs DM2: -32% gate losses
Gate
GaN based 450
driver half-bridge
400

350 Best Si vs GaN: - 80%

300

250

200

VCC (12V) 150

Si based
L6498

100
half-bridge
50

0
MasterGaN1 STL26N60DM6 STL26N65DM2

GaN based half-bridge has lowest gate driving losses.

22
 Measurement of resonant transient in LLC topology
S-J old (STL26N65DM2) LLC converter:
• IN: 400V
S-J new (STL26N60DM6) • OUT: 12V
• Power: 250W
• No additional capacitor across DS
GaN (MasterGaN1)
Transient time results:
HB voltage [V]

S-J old (STL26N65DM2): 415 ns

S-J new (STL26N60DM6): 375 ns
GaN (MasterGaN1): 115 ns

GaN allows using 4x shorter

dead-time compared to equivalent
superjunction MOSFETs, allowing
higher operating frequency
HS gate
ON → OFF

DT GaN (MasterGaN1) LS gate

DT S-J new (STL26N60DM6) LS gate
23
DT S-J old (STL26N65DM2) LS gate
 Transformer reduction in LLC converters with GaN

Integrated magnetics
Vin Lr

Lm
100 kHz

Vout

Same power, fsw 5x higher

500 kHz
24
 Comparison in LLC topology

MasterGaN1

Gate driver
400V

SRK2001 12V

L6498
25
 Efficiency Gain in 150W LLC with GaN
Frequency 110 kHz 370 kHz
Efficiency 92.4% 92.8% 88.4% 92.4%
+ 0.4% +4.0%

Gate driver Gate driver

L6388E L6388E 26
MasterGaN1 MasterGaN1
 GaN based LLC module in soft switching
3MHz test (1/2)
400V

MasterGaN1

15 uH
Gate
driver

100nF for DC
component
suppression

50 % duty,
3000 kHz,
80ns DT

MasterGaN1 at 3.0 MHz Common drum inductor was used

with RMS current 0.45 A for this test. In the real application
inductor with MHz operation
capability need to be used.

27
 GaN based LLC module in soft switching
3MHz test (2/2)
400V

MasterGaN1

15 uH
Gate
driver

100nF for DC
component
suppression

50 % duty, HB voltage
3000 kHz,
HB current 60 ns delay
80ns DT
LS
HS
SMPS with 50% duty cycle can
operate up to few MHz. Only external
bootstrap diode need to be added. 3.0 MHz!
Higher frequency operation is limited by
turn-off time plus propagation delay
28
Open loop, dead-time: 80 ns
 250W GaN based LLC demo board

250W LLC resonant switching at 250kHz without heatsink

EVLMG1-250WLLC
• GaN based LLC resonant
• Synchronous rectification
• Analog control
• Switching frequency ~ 250 kHz

• MasterGaN1 600V GaN-based half-bridge, 150 mW typ.

• L6599A resonant controller
• SRK2001 digital synchronous rectification controller
29
GaN-based LLC converters with MasterGaN family
Achievable targets
• Up to 500W with small heatsink

• Faster switching than conventional Si MOSFET AC/DC designs:

250kHz to 500kHz at full load with digital control

• Compact
> 30% smaller than comparable Si MOSFET solution

• High-Efficiency
96-97% with synchronous rectification

30
GaN in totem pole PFC

Hard switching

Totem-Pole
Bridgeless CCM
AC/DC (PFC)
 Basic single phase PFC topologies for CCM
With input bridge rectifier Bridgeless
Simple boost Totem-pole

SiC

WBG

400V 400V

Si WBG

Junctions in series: 3 Junctions in series: 2

32
 Basic single phase PFC topologies for CCM
With input bridge rectifier Bridgeless
Simple boost Totem-pole

SiC

WBG

400V 400V

Si WBG

+ Simple + Higher efficiency

+ Simple input voltage sensing - Input voltage sensing require op amp
- Two diodes in series all the time - More complex
- WBG transistors with no QRR of diode
33
 QRR comparison

GaN 65mOhm * SCTH35N65G2V-7 STO67N60DM6

65 mΩ * 67 mΩ * 59 mΩ *

Parameter GaN–650V SiC–650V Si–600V

Total gate charge QG [nC] 6 73 72.5

Reverse recovery charge QRR [nC] 0 85 > 600

* MP by 2022
34
* RDS(on)max at 25°C
 GaN reduces output capacitance energy
Output capacitance energy value is important parameter for many topologies where Coss energy is
dissipating. During the hard switching, energy of output capacitance is being dissipated to the heat.

Nonlinear Output capacitance - Coss stored energy

 PLossCoss = fsw * EOSS (VDS)

Si (STO67N60DM6)
 EOSS : output capacitor stored energy
 fsw : switching frequency of the transistor

SiC (SCTH35N65G2V-7)

At typical bus voltage 400V, Si and

SiC MOSFETs has ~2x higher Eoss
than equivalent GaN GaN 650V/ 50mΩ

35
 Target 99%
flat efficiency
2.5 kW GaN CCM totem pole PFC

Solution Spec. Key products

• Input voltage: 120 / 230 Vac • SGT65R65AL G-HEMTTM GaN - 65 mΩ, 650 V - ultra-
fast, zero Qrr e-mode HEMT in PowerFLAT 5x6 package
• Output voltage: 400Vdc
• STL57N65M5 MDmesh M5 STPOWER MOSFET61 mΩ,
• Output power: 2.5kW
650 V in PowerFLAT 8x8 HV package
• STM32F334R8 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 MCU with high
resolution timer (HRTIM) for digital power
• STGAP2D galvanically isolated 4 A half-bridge dual
Server Telecom EV channel gate driver
Industrial
PSU Power Charging
STEVAL-DPSTPFC2 under development

Efficency [%]
Preliminary results
100
Modular daughter card with 99

650V G-HEMT PowerGaN 98

97
96
95
94
93
92
91
90
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Pin [W] 36
GaN offer from ST
 VIPerGaN
Pioneer in the HV conversion: innovative PWM controller + 650V GaN HEMT

Charger &
High power in small packages adapters Smart and simple integration
50W 65W 100W
Small form factor
VIPerGaN Appliances
DRAIN Lightweight PCB
PWM
DC
AC controller
85-300VAC High power density
FB
ISOLATION Air con
Cost effective bill of material
Feedback

Entertainment Energy regulations compliance

38
 VIPerGaN50

Innovative PWM controller + 650V GaN QFN 5x6

Features Benefits Applications

• Advanced quasi-resonant flyback controller • Robustness in application Charger &

• 650V GaN HEMT • Easy entry to wide bandgap adapters
• Embedded HV startup generator • Lighter and smaller PCB
• Embedded protections • Higher power density
Appliances
• Up to 240kHz switching frequency + jittering • Minimized magnetic components ed EMI filter
• Less than 30mW standby power consumption • Cost-effective BOM
• Dynamic blanking time and adjustable valley sync • Higher efficiency Air con
• Adaptive burst mode • Energy saving regulations

Consumer

39
 VIPerGaN pinout
Several smart features with very few pins
GND DRAIN
• Drain of power transistor connected to the metal frame for heat
GND DRAIN DRAIN
dissipation
GND
VIPerGaN BR • Input brown-in and brown-out protection setting
GND
DVR
iOVP • Input OVP setting
BR VDD
iOVP
HV • Startup setting
ZCD
• Blanking time adjustment during MOSFET ON time
HV TB FB TB • Valley synchronization adjustment during MOSFET OFF time to reduce
switching losses and maximize efficiency in any line and load condition
FB • Duty cycle control and burst mode management in SSR topology
• Transformer demagnetization sensing
ZCD • Feedforward compensation during ON time for constant output power
• Output OVP sensing during OFF time
VDD • Supply voltage [9V to 23.5V]
DVR • GaN driver section supply voltage

40
 MasterGaN block diagram
GQFN 9x9 mm2,
The world first solution combining 600 V half-bridge driver with GaN pin-to-pin scalable
HEMT: compact, robust & easy to design

Logic part
HS gate driver

HS GaN

LS GaN
LS gate driver

41
 MasterGaN main topologies

Key applications
• Chargers and adapters
• Industrial SMPS

Up to 100W

ACTIVE CLAMP FLYBACK

Up to 400-500W

RESONANT LLC Key applications

• Industrial SMPS
• UPS
• Solar systems
• Servers

42
 STDRIVEG600
600V half-bridge HEMT GaN driver for power conversion soft switching
topologies

• Voltage rail up to 600V Logic part HS gate driver

• Up to 20V gate driver

• 5.5 A / 6 A source/ sink currents @ 15 V
• 1.3 A / 2.4 A source/ sink currents @ 6 V
• 45ns short propagation delay
• Bootstrap diode
• Separated ON-OFF outputs for easy gate driving tuning LS gate driver
• 3.3V / 5V logic inputs
• Fully protected (UVLO VCC and VBOOT)
• Thermal shutdown
• Interlocking function
• Shut down pin
• SO-16

43
 2022 STPOWER GaN
PowerGaN* product family overview
A serious alternative to silicon in power conversion applications

Drain

Gate GaN HEMT

G-HEMT Ultra-fast, zero Qrr e-mode HEMT, easily parallelable, well suited for
650V E-MODE very high frequency and power applications
Kelvin
Source

Drain

G-FET
GaN HEMT

Very fast, ultra-low Qrr, robust GaN cascode FET with standard
Gate
Si MOSFET

650V D-MODE silicon gate-drive for a wide range of power

Kelvin Source

44
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