Date of Graduation

12-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Electrical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Mantooth, H. Alan

Committee Member

Francis, A. Matthew

Second Committee Member

Ang, Simon S.

Third Committee Member

Rahman, Ashfaqur

Keywords

High Temperature; Integrated Circuits; Linear Regulator; Power Management; Silicon Carbide; Wide Bandgap ICs

Abstract

The increasing demand for discrete power devices capable of operating in high temperature and high voltage applications has spurred on the research of semiconductor materials with the potential of breaking through the limitations of traditional silicon. Gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), both of which are wide bandgap materials, have garnered the attention of researchers and gradually gained market share. Although these wide bandgap power devices enable more ambitious commercial applications compared to their silicon-based counterparts, reaching their potential is contingent upon developing integrated circuits (ICs) capable of operating in similar environments.

The foundation of any electrical system is the ability to efficiently condition and supply power. The work presented in this thesis explores integrated SiC power management solutions in the form of linear regulators and switched capacitor converters. While switched-mode converters provide high efficiency, the requirement of an inductor hinders the development of a compact, integrated solution that can endure harsh operating environments.

Although the primary research motivation for wide bandgap ICs has been to provide control and protection circuitry for power devices, the circuitry designed in this work can be incorporated in stand-alone applications as well. Battery or generator powered data acquisition systems targeted towards monitoring industrial machinery is one potential usage scenario.

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