A Novel GaN Gate Driver: Transistor-Intrinsic Integration Exploiting Non-Ideal Characteristics by Device-Circuit Co-Design

This work introduces a device-circuit co-design strategy that can leverages non-ideal effects, including parasitic effects, to benefit integrated circuits (ICs), thereby substantially improving the integration level. An innovative transistor-intrinsic charge pump that eliminates the need for additional capacitor and diode is proposed. Based on the charge pump, a novel transistor-intrinsic gate driver with a compact topology, composed entirely of enhancement-mode HEMTs (E-HEMTs), has been realized using the commercialized technology of p-GaN gate HEMT. The gate driver, comprised solely of six E-HEMTs, achieves rail-to-rail output while maintaining low power consumption and thermal stability. Experimental results indicate that the proposed driver's dynamic output high level (VOH) is 2.36 V above its static counterpart and 1.36 V higher than the classic driver, thus achieving rail-to-rail output. From 25 to 200 °C, the load current degradation rate in this driver is merely half of that observed in conventional designs, ensuring driver's high-temperature stability. The results demonstrate the practicality of device-circuit co-design and transistor-intrinsic integration in compact all-GaN ICs, providing a new perspective for GaN integration technology.