Event
Microelectronics Seminar: Dr Qihao Song, Monolithic Power Systems
Friday, February 28, 2025
11:00 a.m.
2460 A.V. Williams
Darcy Long
301 405 3114
dlong123@umd.edu
Speaker: Dr. Qihao Song, Senior Application and Technical Marketing Engineer at Monolithic Power Systems
Title: Unlocking the Full Potential of GaN Transistors for Future Power Electronics: Reliability Enhancement under Practical Switching Conditions
Abstract: Gallium Nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are revolutionizing power electronics, enabling advancements in smartphones, electric vehicles, and data centers. While they offer lower on-resistance and higher voltage handling than silicon counterparts, their reliability under practical switching conditions remains a critical challenge. This webinar explores the reliability of GaN power HEMTs in high-voltage, high- frequency switching environments. It investigates their behavior under extreme stress conditions, such as energy surges and overvoltage, uncovering parametric shifts and recovery techniques to maintain long-term performance. Additionally, this talk examines intrinsic instabilities and non-ideal power loss during high-frequency operations, proposing design solutions to enhance GaN HEMT efficiency and reliability. By addressing these challenges, this work provides key insights into unlocking the full potential of GaN transistors, guiding device designers and users toward more reliable and efficient power electronics systems.
Bio: Qihao Song received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, in 2019 and 2024, respectively. He is currently a Senior Application and Technical Marketing Engineer at Monolithic Power Systems (MPS). Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), Virginia Tech. His research interests include the characterization, robustness, and reliability of wide-bandgap power semiconductor devices, as well as their impact and integration into power electronics converters. Dr.
Song was the recipient of the Best Presentation Award at the 2021 Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC).
