| Abstract |
Utilization of power electronics converters under cryogenic temperatures (CT) offers higher powerefficiency and volumetric density. This becomes possible due to reduced channel resistance andswitching energies for Si and GaN-based devices. Therefore, both quantities, constituting a figure ofmerit for power converters; offer lower conduction losses and increased switching speeds with thereduction in temperatures. This leads to increased power efficiency, and lower volume of the passivecomponents involved. Since reliable and efficient operation of a power electronics converter dependsupon the operational characteristics of switching devices; gate drivers play a critical role as they notonly decide, but also help optimize the operating conditions of such devices. To take full advantage ofCT, not only proper working but also the quality of switching performance of gate driving circuits isextremely important. This paper presents operation and performance of numerous commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) gate drivers under cryogenic operating conditions. Gate drivers (GD) selected for theanalysis are capable enough to drive high-speed wide band gap (WBG) devices. As part of theexperimentation process, whole GD board was designed while selecting all the auxiliary components tobe compatible with CT. The paper compares five different GDs and presents successful operation of twoof them at CT of 77 K. |
