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GaN Reliability Testing Beyond AEC for Automotive Lidar

GaN Reliability Testing Beyond AEC for Automotive Lidar

An automotive application using GaN power devices in high volume is lidar(light detection and ranging) for autonomous vehicles. Lidar technology provides information about a vehicle’s surroundings, thus requiring high accuracy and reliability to ensure safety and performance. This article will discus a novel testing mechanism developed by EPC to test eGaN devices beyond the qualification requirements of the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) for the specific use case of lidar.

Power Systems Design
December, 2020
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GaN Reliability Testing Beyond AEC Proves Robustness for Automotive Lidar Applications

GaN Reliability Testing Beyond AEC Proves Robustness for Automotive Lidar Applications

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices have been in volume production since March 2010 and have established a remarkable field-reliability record. An automotive application using GaN power devices in high volume is lidar (light detection and ranging) for autonomous vehicles. Lidar technology provides information about a vehicle’s surroundings, thus requiring high accuracy and reliability to ensure safety and performance. This article will discuss a novel testing mechanism developed by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) to test eGaN devices beyond the qualification requirements of the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) for the specific use case of lidar.

eeNews Europe
July 30, 2020
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Improving Reliability For GaN And SiC

Improving Reliability For GaN And SiC

Why these chips are gaining ground, and what still needs to be addressed. Suppliers of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices are rolling out the next wave of products with some new and impressive specs. But before these devices are incorporated in systems, they must prove to be reliable.

Semiconductor Engineering
June, 2020
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Testing Gallium Nitride Devices to Failure Demonstrates Robustness Unmatched by Silicon Power MOSFETs - Efficient Power Conversion Publishes 11th Reliability Report

Testing Gallium Nitride Devices to Failure Demonstrates Robustness Unmatched by Silicon Power MOSFETs - Efficient Power Conversion Publishes 11th Reliability Report

EPC’s Phase Eleven Reliability Report adds to the knowledge base published in the first ten reports. With this report, EPC demonstrates field experience of 123 billion device hours and a robustness capability unmatched by silicon power devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— April 2020 — EPC announces its Phase Eleven Reliability Report, documenting the strategy used to achieve a remarkable field reliability record. This strategy relied upon tests forcing devices to fail under a variety of conditions to create stronger products to serve demanding applications such as lidar for autonomous vehicles, LTE base stations, vehicle headlamps, and satellites to name just a few. 

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Testing GaN Devices to Failure

Testing GaN Devices to Failure

Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices have been in volume production since March 2010 with remarkable field reliability. This article details how by testing parts to the point of failure an understanding of the amount of margin between the data sheet limits can be developed, but more importantly, an understanding of the intrinsic failure mechanisms can be found. By knowing the intrinsic failure mechanisms, the root cause of failure, and the device’s behavior over time, temperature, electrical or mechanical stress, the safe operating life of a product can be determined over a more general set of operating conditions.

Power Systems Design
March 3, 2020
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Qualifying and Quantifying GaN Devices for Power Applications

Qualifying and Quantifying GaN Devices for Power Applications

It’s okay to start using gallium-nitride (GaN) devices in your new designs. GaN transistors have become extremely popular in recent years. These wide-bandgap devices have been replacing LDMOS transistors in many power applications. For example, GaN devices are broadly being adopted for new RF power amplifiers used in cellular base stations, radar, satellites, and other high-frequency applications. In general, their ability to endure higher voltages and operate at frequencies well into the millimeter-wave (mmWave) range have them replacing traditional RF power transistors in most amplifier configurations.

Electronic Design
November, 2019
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Tenth Reliability Report Highlighting Gallium Nitride Device Testing Beyond Automotive AEC-Q101 Qualification

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Tenth Reliability Report Highlighting Gallium Nitride Device Testing Beyond Automotive AEC-Q101 Qualification

EPC’s Phase Ten Reliability Report adds to the growing knowledge base published in the first nine reports. With this report, EPC has stress-tested over 30,000 parts for a total of over 18 million hours without failure.  There have been no field failures in over two years despite shipping millions of parts.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— February 2019 — EPC announces its Phase Ten Reliability Report, documenting the test results leading to the successful completion of automotive AEC-Q101 qualification. AEC-Q101 demands the highest level of reliability standards for power FETs, requiring not only zero datasheet failures, but also low parametric drift during stress testing.  Of note is that EPC’s WLCS packaging passed all the same testing standards created for conventional packaged parts, demonstrating that the superior performance of chip-scale packaging does not compromise ruggedness or reliability.

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Why go for GaN?

Why go for GaN?

GaN technology has matured to a point where it can challenge traditional silicon technology.  Gallium nitride(GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications since commercial availability began in 2010. New markets, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), envelope tracking, and wireless power, emerged due to the superior switching speed of GaN. These new applications have helped develop a strong supply chain, low production costs, and an enviable reliability record. All of this provides adequate incentive for the more conservative design engineers in applications, such as DC/DC converters, AC/DC converters, and automotive to start their evaluation process. In this article, the factors leading to the rapid acceleration of the adoption rate are explored.

Electronics Weekly
January 2019
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GaN-on-Silicon Power Devices: How to Dislodge Silicon-Based Power MOSFETs

GaN-on-Silicon Power Devices: How to Dislodge Silicon-Based Power MOSFETs

Gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors designed for efficient power conversion have been in production for seven years. New markets, such as light detection and ranging, envelope tracking, and wireless charging, have emerged due to the superior switching speed of GaN. These markets have enabled GaN products to achieve significant volumes, low production costs, and an enviable reliability reputation. All of this provides adequate incentive for the more conservative design engineers in applications such as dc-dc converters, ac-dc converters, and automotive to start their evaluation process. So what are the remaining barriers to the conversion of the US$12 billion silicon power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) market? In a word: confidence. Design engineers, manufacturing engineers, purchasing managers, and senior management all need to be confident that GaN will provide benefits that more than offset the risk of adopting a new technology. Let's look at three key risk factors: supply chain risk, cost risk, and reliability risk.

IEEE Spectrum
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Ninth Reliability Report Documenting Millions of GaN Technology Device Hours with Zero Failures After Rigorous Stress Testing

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Ninth Reliability Report Documenting Millions of GaN Technology Device Hours with Zero Failures After Rigorous Stress Testing

EPC’s Phase Nine Reliability Report documents a combined total of over 9 million GaN stress device-hours with zero failures. This report focuses on thermo-mechanical board level reliability, describing for the first time, a predictive model for solder joint integrity and showing the superior reliability of wafer level chip-scale packaging (WLCSP) GaN technology over comparable packaged devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— April 2017 — EPC announces its Phase Nine Reliability Report showing the results of a rigorous set of thermo-mechanical board level reliability testing. The Phase Nine Reliability Report adds to the growing knowledge base previously published in EPC’s first eight reports and represents an ongoing commitment to study, learn, and share information on the reliability of GaN technology.

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eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Gate Voltage Stress Reliability

eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Gate Voltage Stress Reliability

The previous installment in this series focused on the physics of failure surrounding thermo-mechanical reliability of EPC eGaN wafer level chip-scale packages. A fundamental understanding of the potential failure modes under voltage bias is also important. This installment will provide an overview of the physics of failure associated with voltage bias at the gate electrode of gallium nitride (GaN) field effect transistors (FETs). Here we look at the case of taking the gate control voltage to the specified limit and beyond to investigate how eGaN FETs behave over a projected lifetime.

Planet Analog
Chris Jakubiec
November 29, 2016
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eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Strain on solder joints

eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Strain on solder joints

The first three installments in this series covered field reliability experience and stress test qualification of EPC’s enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) field effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits (ICs). Excellent field reliability that was documented is the result of applying stress tests covering the intended operating conditions the devices will experience within applications. Of equal importance is understanding the underlying physics of how eGaN devices will fail when stressed beyond intended operating conditions (e.g. datasheet parameters and safe operating area). This installment will take a deeper dive into the physics of failure centered around thermo-mechanical reliability of eGaN wafer level chip-scale packages (WLCSP).

Planet Analog
Chris Jakubiec
September 7, 2016
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Reliability Report Documenting GaN Technology Reliability After Millions of Device Hours of Rigorous Stress Testing

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Reliability Report Documenting GaN Technology Reliability After Millions of Device Hours of Rigorous Stress Testing

EPC Phase Eight Reliability Report documents a combined total of over 8 million GaN device-hours with zero failures. The report examines, in detail, the stress tests that EPC devices are subjected to prior to release as qualified products and analyzes the physics of failure.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— July 2016 — EPC announces its Phase Eight Reliability Report showing the results of the rigorous set of JEDEC-based qualification stress tests eGaN FETS and integrated circuits undertake prior to being considered qualified products.

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Podium Session at PCIM Europe Marks New Chapter in GaN Power Device Adoption

Podium Session at PCIM Europe Marks New Chapter in GaN Power Device Adoption

Senior representatives GaN power manufacturers (EPC, Transphorm, GaN Systems, Infineon and Navitas) presented details of their significant developments in moving the technology into mainstream, volume applications. Based on the information presented in the five talks, there are three significant reasons to expect dramatic growth in adoption of GaN power devices.

Bodo’s Power Systems
June 1, 2016
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eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Examining eGaN Field Reliability

eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure - Examining eGaN Field Reliability

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Corporation’s enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN®) FETs and integrated circuits (ICs) are finding their way into many end user applications such as LIDAR, wireless charging, DC-DC conversion, RF base station transmission, satellite systems, and audio amplifiers.

Field reliability is the ultimate metric that corroborates the quality level of eGaN® FETs and ICs that have been deployed in customer applications. In our first installment we provided an overview of eGaN FET field reliability which included 6 years of volume production shipment, and greater than 17 billion total device hours recorded. A subsequent calculated Failure In Time (FIT – failures in 109 hours) of approximately 0.24 FITs shows excellent field reliability performance to date.

Plant Analog
Chris Jakubiec
May 1, 2016
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Reliability Report Documenting Over 17 Billion Field-Device Hours with Very Low Failure Rate

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Publishes Reliability Report Documenting Over 17 Billion Field-Device Hours with Very Low Failure Rate

EPC Phase Seven Reliability Report shows that eGaN® FETs have solid reliability and are dependable replacement solutions to traditional silicon devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2016 — EPC announces its Phase Seven Reliability Report showing the distribution of over 17 billion accumulated field-device hours and detailing test data from more than 7 million equivalent device-hours under stress. The stress tests included intermittent operating life (IOL), early life failure rate (ELFR), humidity with bias, temperature cycling, and electrostatic discharge. The study reports a composite 0.24 FIT rate for products in the field, which is consistent with all of EPC’s in situ evaluations to date and validates the readiness of eGaN FETs to supplant their aging silicon cousins for commercial power switching applications.

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eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure

eGaN Technology Reliability and Physics of Failure

In this series we will look at the various ways the reliability of eGaN® technology has been validated, and how we are developing models from our understanding of the physics of failures that can help predict failure rates under almost any operating condition. In this first installment and the next, we will look at the field experience from the past six years of GaN transistors use in a variety of applications from vehicle headlamps to medical systems to 4G/LTE telecom systems. Diving into the failure of each and every part leads to some valuable lessons learned.

Planet Analog
Chris Jakubiec, Robert Strittmatter, Ph.D., and Alex Lidow, Ph.D.
March 1, 2016
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eGaN FET Safe Operating Area

In this article, we show that high electron densities and very low temperature coefficients give the eGaN FET major advantages over the power MOSFET needed for today’s high performance applications. High electron density yields superior RDS(ON), while positive temperature coefficients inhibit hot spot generation within the die, resulting in superior Safe Operating Area capabilities.

By Yanping Ma, Ph.D., Director of Quality, EPC
Bodo's Power Systems

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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) eGaN FETs Offer Superior Safe Operating Area Capabilities

eGaN FETs exhibit a positive temperature coefficient across their entire operating range, thus overcoming a performance limitation of the silicon MOSFET.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—September 2012 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) is releasing safe operating area (SOA) data for their entire product line of eGaN FETs. The positive temperature coefficient across virtually their entire operating range allows a square SOA limited only by average device temperature.

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