III-nitride switching device with an emulated diode

摘要

Some exemplary embodiments of a III-nitride switching device with an emulated diode have been disclosed. One exemplary embodiment comprises a GaN switching device fabricated on a substrate comprising a high threshold GaN transistor coupled across a low threshold GaN transistor, wherein a gate and a source of the low threshold GaN transistor are shorted with an interconnect metal to function as a parallel diode in a reverse mode. The high threshold GaN transistor is configured to provide noise immunity for the GaN switching device when in a forward mode. The high threshold GaN transistor and the low threshold GaN transistor are typically fabricated on the same substrate, and with significantly different thresholds. As a result, the superior switching characteristics of III-nitride devices may be leveraged while retaining the functionality and the monolithic structure of the inherent body diode in traditional silicon FETs.

主权项

1. A III-nitride switching device comprising:
a high threshold III-nitride transistor for being switched by a driver circuit; a low threshold III-nitride diode connected transistor coupled across said high threshold III-nitride transistor at a common source node and a common drain node, said low threshold III-nitride diode having a gate and a source, said gate being coupled to said source at said common source node; wherein said high threshold III-nitride transistor comprises a high threshold voltage more than four times larger than a low threshold voltage of said low threshold III-nitride diode connected transistor, and provides noise immunity for said III-nitride switching device in a forward mode; wherein a low resistance interconnect metal connects said gate and said source of said low threshold III-nitride diode connected transistor so that said low threshold voltage of said low threshold III-nitride diode is substantially equal to a voltage drop of said low threshold III-nitride diode in a reverse mode; wherein said low threshold III-nitride diode connected transistor functions as a parallel diode for protection of said III-nitride switching device in said reverse mode; wherein said III-nitride switching device comprises a combination of E-mode and D-mode GaN HEMTs.