Reliability Report - Phase 10

The rapid adoption of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Corporation’s eGaN® devices in many diverse applications, calls for continued accumulation of reliability statistics and research into the fundamental physics of failure in GaN devices. This Phase 10 reliability report adds to the growing knowledge base published in the first nine reports [1-9] and covers several key new topics.

Alejandro Pozo Ph.D., Shengke Zhang Ph.D., and Robert Strittmatter Ph.D., Efficient Power Conversion Corporation

Key Takeaways

  • EPC devices have successfully completed AEC-Q101 Qualification. AEC-Q101 demands highest level of reliability for power FETs, requiring not only zero datasheet failures, but also low parametric drift during stress testing.  Passing AEC-Q101 is a testament to the reliability of the underlying technology.
  • Beyond AEC-Q101! EPC has developed a test system to examine switching reliability, measured as increases in RDS(on) against three acceleration factors: (1) VIN , (2) temperature and, (3) switching frequency. The result = dynamic RDS(on) is not an issue for eGaN FETs
  • Gate reliability is revisited using a test system EPC has developed that allows populations of parts to be tested under DC gate stress, while allowing gate leakage to be continuously monitored and allowing other device parameters (VTH and IDSS) to be logged at regular intervals. This gives a more complete picture of device degradation under high gate stress conditions. The result = eGaN FET gates are very rugged and reliable.
  • EPC has stress-tested over 30,000 parts for over 18 million hours without failure.