GaN Power Devices Power Up

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices are gaining traction for their ability to handle higher voltages and power densities, making them ideal for replacing fossil fuel-based systems. Researchers have developed enhancement-mode GaN HEMTs, which are normally-off and safer for power applications, using magnesium-doped p-GaN gates to deplete the 2DEG layer at zero bias. However, fabricating high-quality GaN devices remains difficult, particularly when integrating them with silicon substrates, due to lattice strain and material compatibility issues. Intel Foundry has addressed some of these challenges with a GaN-on-silicon chiplet platform designed for low-voltage, high-density power electronics. By combining GaN N-MOS HEMTs with silicon PMOS layers in a unified process, the team created the world’s thinnest GaN chiplets—19 microns thick—enabling faster switching and lower resistive losses. These chiplets include on-die circuits like multiplexers and ring oscillators, demonstrating their potential for compact, efficient power systems. The approach leverages chiplets to reduce distance between circuit elements, minimizing losses while improving heat dissipation. However, achieving high-quality GaN layers on silicon without cracking or dislocations requires careful strain engineering, typically involving graded AlGaN buffer layers. This limits GaN devices to lateral structures, unlike silicon and SiC, which often use vertical channels. Despite progress, GaN devices still face limitations in high-voltage industrial applications due to untested failure conditions and integration difficulties. For now, the first major beneficiaries are low-voltage consumer devices, where GaN’s efficiency and compact size offer clear advantages. Researchers continue to refine fabrication techniques to expand GaN’s role in broader power electronics markets.