Very-High current gallium nitride transconductance amplifiers

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The objective of this CRD project between Queen's University and Guildline Instruments is to develop technology for next-generation transconductance amplifiers (TCAs) using gallium nitride (GaN) transistors to deliver 100 Amps of output current from DC to 1 MHz. High-current TCAs are used by power companies to calibrate their power flow meters. Arc welding equipment is another important market for TCAs where high currents are needed to locally melt the materials to be bonded. And particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider use TCAs to generate the current pulses that produce the magnetic fields that propel subatomic particles to light speed. High-current TCAs available on the market today use a parallel arrangement of up to twenty smaller TCA 'cells' because silicon transistors are limited in the amount output current they can deliver at high frequencies. GaN transistors can source very high drain currents up to gigahertz frequencies while simultaneously exhibiting high breakdown voltages as a result of the semiconductor's high electron mobility and high energy bandgap. GaN offers the potential to significantly reduce the number of parallel TCA cells needed to build a 100 Amp system from twenty to about five. This represents a significant improvement in the cost, size and power consumption of the unit which will, in turn, place Guildline Instruments in a very good position to lead in a highly competitive market that serves national research laboratories, national metrology institutes, militaries, nuclear power plants, aerospace, and companies in the electrical and power industry. Through this project, three students will be trained: one doctoral and two undergraduates. The students will gain valuable skills in microelectronic circuit design, high-power techniques, test and measurement.