GAN switch device reliability monitoring system and method
By designing a test circuit in the GaN switching device to sense and process the substrate leakage current, the problem of difficult monitoring of substrate leakage current is solved, and real-time monitoring and fault prevention of the reliability of the GaN switching device are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380015675.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-24
AI Technical Summary
The substrate leakage current in GaN switching devices is difficult to monitor, resulting in possible failures during the life cycle, and the prior art is difficult to effectively measure or monitor through external circuits.
A test circuit is designed, including a sensing circuit, a signal processing circuit and a control and reliability evaluation circuit, which is coupled between the source terminal of the GaN switching device and the substrate to sense and process the substrate leakage current to generate Monitor output.
By monitoring the leakage current of the lining, the potential failure can be found in time during the life of the GAN switch device to avoid disastrous consequences caused by the breakdown and leakage of the sources of the substrate, and extend the life of the equipment.
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Figure CN119365783A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for monitoring the reliability of gallium nitride (GaN) switch devices, and more particularly to systems and methods for monitoring substrate leakage current in GaN switch devices. Background Art
[0002] GaN-based switching devices are widely used in high-frequency power conversion systems due to their low power loss and fast switching speed. Compared with silicon metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have better quality factors and are more promising in high-power and high-frequency applications.
[0003] Silicon power devices (MOSFETs) do not have substrate leakage current issues because they have large substrate impedance. On the other hand, the substrate quality of planar GaN power devices has a smaller substrate impedance. Therefore, the substrate leakage current of GaN-based switch devices is an important and critical parameter for monitoring the performance and failure of GaN switch devices. The substrate leakage current can be measured by inspecting each GaN switch device during mass production and screening out early-stage faulty devices through short-term aging. However, short-lived GaN switch devices cannot be screened through testing in the production stage, which may cause failures of GaN switch devices during their life cycle.
[0004] Various architectures and methods have been proposed to monitor substrate leakage current in GaN switch devices. For example, substrate leakage current can be monitored directly by measuring the substrate leakage current, or indirectly by floating the source terminal and gate terminal and sensing the current at the drain terminal externally.
[0005] Generally, for a planar GaN switch device, in order to ensure the performance of the GaN switch device, the substrate of the GaN switch device is directly connected to the source, so the substrate needs to withstand a large voltage, resulting in an increase in substrate leakage current. Due to the increase in substrate leakage current, a short circuit occurs between the drain and the substrate, resulting in a short circuit in the GaN switch device. However, since the source is directly connected to the substrate, the substrate leakage current cannot be measured or monitored by an external circuit.
[0006] The requirement for monitoring substrate leakage current in GaN switch devices may require the development of a GaN switch device with an embedded monitoring circuit so that the substrate leakage current in the GaN switch device can be measured and monitored without short circuiting in certain applications in the field. Summary of the invention
[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a test circuit for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switch device is provided. The test circuit comprises: a sensing circuit coupled between a source terminal and a substrate of the GaN switch device, for sensing a substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate to generate a sensing signal; a signal processing circuit coupled to the sensing circuit, for processing the sensing signal to generate a processing signal; and a control and reliability evaluation circuit coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit, for controlling the sensing circuit and evaluating the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processing signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, comprising a GaN switch device and the above-mentioned test circuit.
[0009] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a reliability monitoring method for a GaN switching device is provided, comprising: coupling a sensing circuit between a source terminal and a substrate of the GaN switching device, configuring the sensing circuit to sense a substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate of the GaN switching device to generate a sensing signal; coupling a signal processing circuit to the sensing circuit, configuring the signal processing circuit to process the sensing signal to generate a processing signal; coupling a control and reliability evaluation circuit to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit, configuring the control and reliability evaluation circuit to control the sensing circuit and evaluate the reliability of the GaN switching device based on the processing signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0010] Based on the above, in an embodiment of the present invention, the test circuit can monitor the substrate leakage current during the life of the GaN switch device. The monitoring data can be combined with the foundry reliability output during the manufacturing process of the GaN switch device to analyze the state of the substrate and the life of the GaN switch device. Based on the analyzed life, the replacement or backup of the GaN switch device can be arranged in advance to avoid catastrophic consequences caused by unexpected substrate breakdown and drain-source short circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Aspects of the present disclosure may be readily understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. That is, the dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. Due to manufacturing processes and tolerances, there may be differences between the artistic representations in the present disclosure and the actual devices. Common reference numerals may be used throughout the drawings and detailed description to represent the same or similar parts.
[0012] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of a test circuit for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switching device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] Figure 2is a circuit diagram of a test circuit for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switching device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of a test circuit for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switching device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] Figure 4 The figure is a flow chart of a reliability monitoring method of a GaN switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In the following description, preferred examples of the present disclosure will be described as embodiments, which should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. Specific details may be omitted to avoid obscuring the present disclosure; however, the present disclosure is intended to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings herein without excessive experimentation.
[0017] It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as limiting. "Including," "comprising," or "having" and their variations as used herein are intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents as well as additional items. Unless otherwise limited, the terms "connect," "couple," and "install" and their variations as used herein are used broadly and cover direct and indirect connections, couplings, and installations.
[0018] The circuit diagram of the test circuit 150 for monitoring the reliability of the GaN switch device provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 The GaN switch device 100 includes a substrate 110 , a drain terminal 120 , a gate terminal 130 , and a source terminal 140 .
[0019] The test circuit 150 is used to test and monitor substrate leakage current in the GaN switch device 100. The test circuit 150 is coupled between the substrate 110 and the source terminal 140.
[0020] The test circuit 150 includes a sensing circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a control and reliability evaluation circuit.
[0021] The sensing circuit is coupled between the source terminal and the substrate of the GaN switch device and is used to sense the substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate to generate a sensing signal.
[0022] The signal processing circuit is coupled to the sensing circuit and is used for processing the sensing signal to generate a processing signal.
[0023] The control and reliability assessment circuit is coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit for controlling the sensing circuit and assessing the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0024] The signal processing circuit includes a signal sampling circuit, a signal conversion circuit and a scaling circuit. The signal sampling circuit is coupled to the sensing circuit and is used to sample the sensing signal to generate a sampling signal; the signal conversion circuit is coupled to the signal sampling circuit and is used to convert the sampling signal into a conversion signal; the signal scaling circuit is coupled to the signal conversion circuit and is used to scale the conversion signal to generate a processing signal.
[0025] The sensing circuit may be used to sense the substrate leakage current to generate a sensing voltage or current signal; the signal processing circuit 155 may be used to process the voltage or current signal sensed by the sensing circuit 151 .
[0026] In some embodiments, the sensing circuit is a voltage sensing circuit for sensing substrate leakage current to generate a sensing voltage signal. The signal sampling circuit is a voltage signal sampling circuit for sampling the sensing voltage signal to generate a sampled voltage signal. The signal conversion circuit is a voltage-current signal conversion circuit for converting the sampled voltage signal into a converted current signal. The signal scaling circuit is a voltage signal scaling circuit for scaling the converted current signal to generate a scaled current. The scaled current signal is used by the control and reliability assessment circuit as a processing signal for generating a monitoring output.
[0027] In some embodiments, the sensing circuit is a current sensing circuit for sensing substrate leakage current to generate a sensing current signal. The signal sampling circuit is a current signal sampling circuit for sampling the sensing current signal to generate a sampled current signal. The signal conversion circuit is a current-voltage signal conversion circuit for converting the sampled current signal into a converted voltage signal. The signal scaling circuit is a current signal scaling circuit for scaling the converted current signal to generate a scaled voltage signal as a processing signal. The control and reliability assessment circuit uses the scaled voltage signal as a processing signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0028] The sensing circuit 151 is integrated into the GaN switch device 100 to form an integrated chip. In one embodiment, the sensing circuit 151 and the signal processing circuit 155 are integrated with the GaN switch device 100 to form an integrated chip.
[0029] The test circuit 150 is integrated into the GaN switch device 100 to form an integrated chip. In some embodiments, the test circuit 150 is an integrated chip packaged together with the GaN switch device 100. In some embodiments, the test circuit 150 is a circuit packaged separately from the GaN switch device 100 and is externally coupled to the GaN switch device 100, so the present disclosure does not limit the implementation of the test circuit 150 in the GaN switch device 100.
[0030] In one embodiment, the sensing circuit 151 may be implemented by an operational amplifier. In some embodiments, the sensing circuit 151 may be implemented by a sensing resistor. Therefore, the type of the sensing circuit 151 used in the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0031] In some embodiments, the sampling circuit 152 may be implemented using a plurality of operational amplifiers, a plurality of active elements, and a plurality of passive elements, and thus the present invention does not limit the circuit implementation of the sampling circuit 152 .
[0032] In one embodiment, the voltage-current conversion in the signal conversion circuit 153 can be completed by a transconductance amplifier. In some embodiments, the voltage-current conversion in the signal conversion circuit 153 can be completed by a single passive element or a combination of multiple passive elements or a combination of active and passive elements, so the signal conversion circuit 153 used in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0033] In one embodiment, the current-to-voltage conversion in the signal conversion circuit 153 can be performed by a transimpedance amplifier. In some embodiments, the current-to-voltage conversion in the signal conversion circuit 153 can be performed by a single passive element or a combination of multiple passive elements or a combination of active and passive elements, so the signal conversion circuit 153 used in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0034] In some embodiments, the signal scaling circuit is implemented using a single passive element or a combination of passive elements or a combination of active and passive elements, so the scaling circuit 154 used in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0035] In some embodiments, voltage scaling in the signal scaling circuit may be implemented by a voltage divider; in some embodiments, current scaling in the signal scaling circuit may be implemented by a current mirror.
[0036] In some embodiments, the control and reliability evaluation circuit 156 is implemented with a logic gate or a combination of logic gates. In some embodiments, the control and reliability evaluation circuit 156 is implemented with a single passive element or a combination of multiple passive elements or a combination of active and passive elements, so the output circuit 156 used in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0037] Figure 2is a circuit diagram of a test circuit 250 for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switch device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Similar to the embodiment shown in , the GaN switch device 100 includes a substrate 110 , a drain terminal 120 , a gate terminal 130 , and a source terminal 140 .
[0038] The test circuit 250 is used to test and monitor substrate leakage current in the GaN switch device 100. The test circuit 250 is coupled between the substrate 110 and the source terminal 140.
[0039] The test circuit 250 includes a sensing circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a control and reliability evaluation circuit.
[0040] The sensing circuit is coupled between the source terminal and the substrate of the GaN switch device and is used to sense the substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate to generate a sensing signal.
[0041] The signal processing circuit is coupled to the sensing circuit and is used for processing the sensing signal to generate a processing signal.
[0042] The control and reliability assessment circuit is coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit for controlling the sensing circuit and assessing the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the sensing circuit 251 is a resistor R1. In some embodiments, the resistor R1 may be a linear resistor. In some embodiments, the resistor R1 may be a non-linear resistor. The present invention does not limit the type of resistor used by the sensing circuit 251.
[0044] The resistor R1 includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the resistor R1 is coupled to the substrate 110 , and the second end of the resistor R1 is coupled to the source terminal 140 .
[0045] The signal processing circuit 355 and Figure 1 The signal processing circuit 352 is similar to the signal processing circuit 155, so the detailed description of the signal processing circuit 352 is omitted here.
[0046] Control and reliability evaluation circuit 356 and Figure 1 The signal processing circuit 352 is similar to the control and reliability evaluation circuit 156, so the detailed description of the signal processing circuit 352 is omitted here.
[0047] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a test circuit 350 for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switch device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Similar to the embodiment shown in , the GaN switch device 100 includes a substrate 110 , a drain terminal 120 , a gate terminal 130 , and a source terminal 140 .
[0048] The test circuit 350 is used to test and monitor substrate leakage current in the GaN switch device 300. The test circuit 350 is coupled between the substrate 110 and the source terminal 140.
[0049] The test circuit 350 includes sensing circuitry, signal processing circuitry, and control and reliability assessment circuitry.
[0050] The sensing circuit is coupled between the source terminal and the substrate of the GaN switch device and is used to sense the substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate to generate a sensing signal.
[0051] The signal processing circuit is coupled to the sensing circuit and is used for processing the sensing signal to generate a processing signal.
[0052] The control and reliability assessment circuit is coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit for controlling the sensing circuit and assessing the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the sensing circuit 351 can be a transistor Q1, which includes a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal. The drain terminal of the transistor Q1 is coupled to the substrate 110, the source terminal of the transistor Q1 is coupled to the source terminal 140, and the gate terminal of the transistor Q1 is coupled to the control and reliability evaluation circuit 356.
[0054] In some embodiments, transistor Q1 may be a GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). In some embodiments, transistor Q1 may be an enhancement mode (E-mode) GaN HEMT. In some embodiments, transistor Q1 may be a depletion mode (D-mode) GaN HEMT. The present disclosure does not limit the type of transistor used in the sensing circuit 351.
[0055] The signal processing circuit 355 and Figure 1 The signal processing circuit 352 is similar to the signal processing circuit 155, so the detailed description of the signal processing circuit 352 is omitted here.
[0056] Control and reliability evaluation circuit 356 and Figure 1 The signal processing circuit 352 is similar to the control and reliability evaluation circuit 156, so the detailed description of the signal processing circuit 352 is omitted here.
[0057] Figure 4 The present invention is a flow chart of a method for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switch device. The method comprises the following steps:
[0058] S402: coupling a sensing circuit between a source terminal of the GaN switch device and a substrate, and configuring the sensing circuit to sense a substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal of the GaN switch device and the substrate to generate a sensing signal;
[0059] S404: coupling the signal processing circuit to the sensing circuit, and configuring the signal processing circuit to process the sensing signal to generate a processing signal; and
[0060] S406: Coupling the control and reliability assessment circuit to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit, and configuring the control and reliability assessment circuit to control the sensing circuit and assess the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
[0061] In step S404, configuring the signal processing circuit further includes:
[0062] S4042: coupling a signal sampling circuit of the signal processing circuit to the sensing circuit, and configuring the signal sampling circuit to sample the sensing signal to generate a sampling signal;
[0063] S4044: coupling the signal conversion circuit of the signal processing circuit to the signal sampling circuit, and configuring the signal conversion circuit to convert the sampling signal into a conversion signal;
[0064] S4046: coupling the signal scaling circuit of the signal processing circuit to the signal conversion circuit, scaling the converted signal, and generating a processed signal.
[0065] These embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, so that those skilled in the art can understand the various embodiments of the present invention and various modifications suitable for specific purposes. Although the methods disclosed herein have been described with reference to specific operations performed in a specific order, it should be understood that these operations can be combined, subdivided or reordered to form equivalent methods without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Therefore, unless otherwise specified herein, the order and grouping of operations are not limitations. Although the devices disclosed herein have been described with reference to specific structures, shapes, materials, material compositions and relationships, etc., these descriptions and illustrations are not limitations. Modifications can be made to adapt specific situations to the purpose, spirit and scope of the present disclosure. All such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the claims attached hereto.
Claims
1. A test circuit for monitoring the reliability of a GaN switch device, comprising: a sensing circuit coupled between a source terminal and a substrate of the GaN switch device, for sensing a substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal and the substrate to generate a sensing signal; a signal processing circuit, coupled to the sensing circuit, for processing the sensing signal to generate a processing signal; as well as A control and reliability assessment circuit is coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit and is configured to control the sensing circuit and assess the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
2. The test circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The signal processing circuit includes a signal sampling circuit, which is coupled to the sensing circuit and is configured to sample the sensing signal to generate a sampling signal.
3. The test circuit according to claim 2, wherein: The signal processing circuit further includes a signal conversion circuit, which is coupled to the signal sampling circuit and is used to convert the sampling signal into a conversion signal.
4. The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein: The signal processing circuit further includes a signal scaling circuit, which is coupled to the signal conversion circuit and is configured to scale the converted signal to generate the processed signal.
5. The test circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The sensing circuit is a voltage sensing circuit configured to sense substrate leakage current to generate a sensing voltage signal.
6. The test circuit according to claim 5, wherein: The signal sampling circuit is a voltage signal sampling circuit, which is used to sample the sensed voltage signal to generate a sampled voltage signal; The signal conversion circuit is a voltage-current signal conversion circuit, which is used to convert the sampled voltage signal into a converted current signal; The signal scaling circuit is a voltage signal scaling circuit, which is used to scale the converted current signal to generate a scaled current; The scaled signal is used as the processed signal.
7. The test circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The sensing circuit is a current sensing circuit, which is used for sensing substrate leakage current to generate a sensing current signal.
8. The test circuit according to claim 7, wherein: The signal sampling circuit is a current signal sampling circuit, which is used to sample the sensed current signal to generate a sampled current signal; The signal conversion circuit is a current-voltage signal conversion circuit, which is used to convert the sampled current signal into a converted voltage signal; The signal scaling circuit is a current signal scaling circuit, which is used to scale the converted current signal to generate a scaled voltage signal; The scaled signal is used as the processed signal.
9. The test circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The sensing circuit is a resistor, comprising: a first terminal coupled to a source terminal of the GaN switching device; and A second terminal coupled to the substrate of the GaN switching device.
10. The test circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The sensing circuit is a transistor, comprising: a source terminal coupled to a source terminal of the GaN switching device; a drain terminal coupled to the substrate of the GaN switching device; and A gate terminal is coupled to and controlled by the control and reliability assessment circuit. 11 . An electronic device comprising a GaN switch device and a test circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the test circuit is configured to monitor the reliability of the GaN switch device.
12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The sensing circuit is integrated with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.
13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The sensing circuit and the signal processing circuit are integrated with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.
14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The test circuit is integrated with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.
15. A method for monitoring reliability of a GaN switch device, comprising: coupling a sensing circuit between a source terminal of the GaN switch device and a substrate, and configuring the sensing circuit to sense a substrate leakage current flowing between the source terminal of the GaN switch device and the substrate to generate a sensing signal; coupling a signal processing circuit to the sensing circuit and configuring the signal processing circuit to process the sensing signal to generate a processed signal; as well as A control and reliability assessment circuit is coupled to the signal processing circuit and the sensing circuit and configured to control the sensing circuit and assess the reliability of the GaN switch device based on the processed signal to generate a monitoring output.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The step of configuring the signal processing circuit includes: coupling a signal sampling circuit of the signal processing circuit to the sensing circuit, and configuring the signal sampling circuit to sample the sensing signal to generate a sampling signal.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The step of configuring the signal processing circuit also includes: coupling a signal conversion circuit of the signal processing circuit to the signal sampling circuit, and configuring the signal conversion circuit to convert the sampled signal into a conversion signal.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The step of configuring the signal processing circuit also includes: coupling a signal scaling circuit of the signal processing circuit to the signal conversion circuit, and configuring the signal scaling circuit to scale the converted signal to generate the processed signal.
19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The sensing circuit is a voltage sensing circuit configured to sense substrate leakage current to generate a sensing voltage signal.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The signal sampling circuit is a voltage signal sampling circuit, which is used to sample the sensed voltage signal to generate a sampled voltage signal; The signal conversion circuit is a voltage-current signal conversion circuit, which is used to convert the sampled voltage signal into a converted current signal; The signal scaling circuit is a voltage signal scaling circuit, which is used to scale the converted current signal to generate a scaled current; The scaled signal is used as the processed signal.
21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: The sensing circuit is a current sensing circuit configured to sense a substrate leakage current to generate a sense current signal.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The signal sampling circuit is a current signal sampling circuit, which is used to sample the sensed current signal to generate a sampled current signal; The signal conversion circuit is a current-voltage signal conversion circuit, which is used to convert the sampled current signal into a converted voltage signal; The signal scaling circuit is a current signal scaling circuit, which is used to scale the converted current signal to generate a scaled voltage signal; The scaled signal is used as the processed signal.
23. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22, further comprising integrating the sensing circuit with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.
24. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22, further comprising integrating the sensing circuit and the signal processing circuit with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.
25. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22, further comprising integrating the test circuit with the GaN switch device to form an integrated circuit chip.