JEDEC Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Committee publishes GaN power FETs document

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association announces the publication of JEP173: Dynamic On-Resistance Test Method Guidelines for GaN HEMT Based Power Conversion Devices. The first publication developed by JEDEC’s newest main committee, JC-70 Wide Bandgap Power Electronic Conversion Semiconductors, JEP173 is available for free download from the JEDEC website.

JEP173 addresses a key need of the user community of GaN power FETs, namely a method for the consistent measurement of Drain-to-Source Resistance in the ON-state (RDS_(ON)) encompassing dynamic effects. These dynamic effects are characteristic of GaN power FETs, and the value of the resulting measured RDS_(ON) is method dependent.

“JEP173 demonstrates how quickly the GaN industry came together to address this important topic and begin to establish standards across suppliers for datasheet, qualification, and test methods,” noted Stephanie Watts Butler, technology innovation architect at Texas Instruments and the chair of JC-70. “The release of JEP173 will help accelerate industry-wide adoption of GaN by ensuring consistency across the supplier base.”

Formed in October 2017 with twenty-three member companies, JC-70 now has over fifty member companies, which underscores industry interest in the development of universal standards to help advance the adoption of wide bandgap (WBG) power technologies. Global multinational corporations and technology startups from the US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia are working together to bring to the industry a set of standards for reliability, testing, and parametrics of WBG power semiconductors. Committee members include industry leaders in power GaN and SiC semiconductors, as well as prospective users of wide bandgap power devices, and test and measurement equipment suppliers. Technical experts from universities and national labs also provided inputs into the new JEP173 guideline.

“Strong commitment from the committee members was required to complete this work to set up universal standards to help advance the adoption of wide bandgap (WBG) power technologies.” remarked Tim McDonald, Senior Advisor to Infineon’s CoolGaN^TM program and the chair of the JC-70.1 subcommittee. “Our Task Groups are diligently making progress on other key GaN and SiC guidelines in the areas of test, reliability, and datasheets.”

Interested companies worldwide are welcome to join JEDEC to participate in this important standardization effort. JC-70 plans to hold four committee meetings in 2019, including a meeting co-located with the APEC Conference on March 18.