Ricerca driver

The primary goal of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility and advantages of Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology as a key component in inverter modules compared to existing solutions such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) .

Phase 1: Technology Analysis and Benchmarking
Conduct an in-depth study of GaN technology for inverter applications.

Review state-of-the-art literature and technical papers to understand current trends and advancements in GaN-based power electronics.
Benchmark GaN against alternative technologies (SiC IGBT) in terms of: Analyze what major OEMs and semiconductor companies are currently implementing in this domain.
A comprehensive report summarizing the advantages limitations and market positioning of GaN technology for inverter modules.

Phase 2: Gate Driver Architecture Design for GaN
Develop and validate a gate driver architecture optimized for GaN devices.

Perform analog design activities including: Architecture definition and evaluation Behavioral modeling and simulation PVT (Process Voltage Temperature) analysis
Address industrialization aspects ensuring the design meets manufacturability and reliability standards.
Supervise and support layout design activities considering: A fully simulated and optimized gate driver architecture for GaN ready for prototyping.

Validate the performance of a previous-generation GaN gate driver in NXPs laboratory environment.

Perform hands-on bench testing and waveform analysis.
Identify critical issues and limitations in the existing design.
Gate driver architecture design documentation including simulations and layout considerations. Bench characterization report of previous-generation gate driver.

Analog circuit design and simulation (SPICE-based tools)
Layout design (Cadence Virtuoso or equivalent)