CoolGaN™ and similar GaN switches require a continuous gate current of a few mA in their "on" state. Besides, due to low threshold voltage and extremely fast switching transients, a negative "off" voltage level may be needed. Infineon"s GaN EiceDRIVER™ solves these issues with very low effort. The two output stages shown below enable a zero "off" level to eliminate any duty-cycle dependence. In addition, the differential topology is able to provide negative gate drive without the need for a negative supply voltage. However, it requires a floating supply voltage not compatible with bootstrapping.
Dedicated gate driver ICs for Infineon"s high voltage GaN power switches (CoolGaN™, X-GaN™)
Single output supply voltage (typ. 8 V, floating)
Switching behavior independent of duty-cycle (2"off" voltage levels)
Differential concept to ensure negative gate drive voltage under any condition
Fast input-to-output propagation (37 ns) with excellent stability (+7/-6ns)
Galvanic input-to-output isolation based on coreless transformer (CT) technology
