1. Thermal Analysis and PCB Design for GaN Power Transistor
Pedro A. Rivera
CURENT REU
Final presentation
7/23/2015
University of Tennessee

2. Background Prototype power inverter - Smaller - Efficient
GaN power transistor
- High frequency switching
- Low on-resistance
- Operation in high temperatures
Effects of high temperatures
- Material wear down
- Efficiency

3. Applications Electric/hybrid vehicles Solar energy
Wind energy industry
Domestic/commercial
Military

4. Configuration Replace GaN transistor with resistor
Experimental PCB design
- Thermal vias
- Bottom heat sink
Taken from GaN systems app note

5. Objective
Analyze heat dissipation of resistors and heat sink temperature
Compare different PCB cooling designs
Find the best cooling design

6. Calculate thermal resistance
Method
Experimental
Simulation
Theoretical
GaN die
Heat sink
Obtain data from:
- Resistor
- Heat sink
FEMM software
- Materials
- Measurements
Calculate thermal resistance

7. Results
Design #1
Experimental results match well simulation and theoretical results

8. Results Not much area under heat source Higher thermal resistance
Design #2
Not much area under heat source
Higher thermal resistance

9. Results
Design #3
Improves design #2

10. Conclusion/Future work
The use of thermal vias and heat sink on the bottom was the best design
The farther away the heat sink from the heat source the worst the cooling will be
Results can be used for comparison in future designs
Create new designs to compare
Use software with three dimensional viewing

11. Acknowledgements
This work was supported primarily by the ERC Program of the National Science Foundation and DOE under NSF Award Number EEC
Other US government and industrial sponsors of CURENT research are also gratefully acknowledged.

12. Questions and Answers