Outlook for GaN HEMT Technology

It is expected that the high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) using gallium nitride (GaN) as its wide band gap semiconductor will be applied in diverse, green ICT systems because of its high efficiency. The GaN HEMT utilizes high-density two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) accumulated in the boundary layer between GaN and AlGaN through their piezoelectric effect and natural polarization effect. This makes it possible to realize a low on-state resistance (Ron). Combined with a high breakdown voltage, the GaN HEMT indicates a superb performance as a power device. After the development of GaN HEMT technology started for power amplifiers of mobile base stations, it was expanded to a radar sensor application. Further expansion of its application is expected in the field of power conversion, in equipment such as server power systems. While the development of GaN HEMT technology has been promoted, focusing on “high output power” conventionally, further advantages such as high efficiency and low energy consumption have been attracting much attention in recent years. In this paper, the outlook for GaN HEMT technology is described in terms of its contribution to energy saving.