In a major development for next-generation power electronics, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have unveiled a new technology that could significantly improve the safety and reliability of gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors.
GaN-based electronics are considered vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and large data centres. They help reduce energy losses and can shrink the size of power converters and related hardware to nearly 1/3 of current designs. However, adoption has been slow due to challenges in controlling the transistor’s “gate,” which switches electric current on and off.
In many commercially available GaN transistors, the device turns on at very low voltage and can start leaking current at slightly higher voltages. This makes them difficult to operate safely and reliably in demanding systems such as vehicle power units and large computing facilities.
To solve this issue, researchers from IISc’s Department of Electronic Systems Engineering carried out a 2-stage study to better understand and improve device performance.
In the first stage, the team created different gate designs and examined how electricity flowed through the transistor. They found that the device’s behaviour depends heavily on how a thin internal layer loses or retains electric charge. Even very small leakage paths can decide when the transistor switches on.
After identifying the cause, the researchers introduced a new gate design using metal-based layers. This reduced current leakage by up to 10,000 times and allowed the transistor to operate more safely at higher voltages.
In the second stage, the team developed another gate structure using an aluminium–titanium oxide material. This design prevents unwanted charge build-up and enables the transistor to switch on at a higher and more stable voltage, similar to widely used silicon-based devices.
Scientists believe this breakthrough could make GaN technology more practical for high-power applications, including electric-vehicle charging systems, renewable-energy inverters and data-centre power supplies.
The IISc team is now working to scale the technology for commercial deployment through industry partnerships and government support, aiming to strengthen India’s position in advanced electronics manufacturing.
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