High-efficiency GaN Converter Module for Wireless Power Transfer Facilities

Principle Investigator:
Dr LIU Wei Lucian,  Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

This invention integrates gallium nitride (GaN) chips into high-performance power converters, achieving low stray inductance and low switching loss for gate driver. The gate driver has minimal ringing and voltage overshoot, ensuring smooth switching characteristics of GaN switches. An insulated metal substrate printed circuit board design is used to lower thermal resistance while ensuring electrical isolation.

Compared with insulated-gate bipolar transistors, silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), or silicon carbide MOSFET converters, the GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) offers higher efficiency, higher power density, and higher switching frequency. Additionally, compared with other GaN converters at the same power level, our invention offers better drive performance and lower cost, promoting the commercialisation of GaN–HEMT power converters.

This technology can be applied in various wireless power transfer facilities, including wireless charging for electric vehicles and other high-frequency, high-power-density wireless charging scenarios.