A power semiconductor device with an auxiliary gate structure

Abstract

The disclosure relates to power semiconductor devices in GaN technology. The disclosure proposes an integrated auxiliary (double) gate terminal and a pulldown network to achieve a normally-off (E- Mode) GaN transistor with threshold voltage higher than 2V, low gate leakage current and enhanced switching performance. The high threshold voltage GaN transistor has a high-voltage active GaN device and a low-voltage auxiliary GaN device, wherein the high-voltage GaN device has the gate (10) connected to a source (12) of the integrated auxiliary low-voltage GaN transistor and the drain being the external high-voltage drain terminal (9) and the source being the external source terminal (8), while the low-voltage auxiliary GaN transistor has the gate (first auxiliary electrode 15) connected to the drain (second auxiliary electrode 16) functioning as an external gate terminal. In embodiments, a pull-down network for the switching-off of the high threshold voltage GaN transistor is formed by additional auxiliary low-voltage GaN transistors (34) and resistive elements connected in parallel or in series with the low-voltage auxiliary GaN transistor.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a power semiconductor device, for example to a heterostructure aluminum gallium nitride / gallium nitride (AlGaN / GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) or rectifier. Background technique [0002] Power semiconductor devices are semiconductor devices used as switches or rectifiers in power electronics (for example, DC-to-AC inverters for motor control, or DC-to-DC converters for switch-mode power supplies). A power semiconductor device is typically used in "commutation mode" (ie it is either on or off) and therefore has a design optimized for this type of use. [0003] Typically, power devices are rated for voltages (ie, the potential difference that the device must withstand between its main terminals in the off state) in excess of 20V and conduct more than 100mA during the on state. More commonly, power devices are rated in excess of 60V and in excess of 1A. These values ​​make power devices very different from ...

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Problems solved by technology

The device will therefore have increased area consumption and the reliability of this additional transistor must be considered

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