SiC CMOS Gate Driver for High-Temperature Aerospace Applications

In this study, the exploration of Fraunhofer IISB's 2 μrn 4H-silicon carbide (SiC) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is presented, with a focus on its application in a gate driver for operating power transistors in power converters. The paper concentrates on the thermal characteristics of the gate driver under various temperatures, a vital aspect for satellite power systems. Simulation results detail the gate driver's turn-on and turn-off timings, along with propagation delays at different temperatures. Specifically, at 295°C and 1 pF capacitive load, the maximum turn-on and turn-off times were found to be 29 ns and 15 ns respectively, while the maximum propagation delays for turn-on and turn-off were 89 ns and 145 ns. These findings are essential for assessing the gate driver's effectiveness and reliability in space environments. This research underline the efficacy of SiC technology for space applications, offering superior thermal management and radiation resistance.