Investigation on Electrical–Thermal-Stress Failure of GaN HEMTs Under High-Power Microwave-Induced Pulse Injection

This article aims to discuss the electrical–thermal-stress effect of three type gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) under high-power microwave (HPM)-induced pulse injection, where sensitive semiconductor devices are susceptible to be disturbed or even destroyed by intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI). CG2H40010F, CGH40010F, and CGH35015F, produced by Wolfspeed with identical matching circuits, are measured under HPM-induced pulse injection at 3 GHz with the pulsewidth of 100 ns and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1kHz. At the threshold powers of 51, 52, and 56 dBm for CG2H40010F, CGH40010F, and CGH35015F, respectively, the peak temperature of three HEMTs is at the same level. Subsequently, the thermal-stress analysis for three HEMTs is investigated with different temperature distributions and various vulnerable regions. Moreover, the thermal accumulation effect is considered with an augment PRF to 5 MHz. Furthermore, electrical breakdown, especially at the rising edge is studied under single and multiple pulse injection. Eventually, crack areas across three GaN HEMTs are examined through experimental characterizations.