SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Alphacore Inc. will develop a low-profile, lightweight, high efficiency, mixed-signal (analog/digital) controlled Isolated DC-DC converter that helps address NASArsquo;s demand for Innovative Ways to Transmit Power over Long Distances for Lunar and Mars Missions, including ldquo;applications of wide-bandgap electronics in direct current (DC)-to-DC isolating converters with wide-temperature, high-power-density, high-efficiency, power electronics and associated drivers for voltage regulationrdquo;.nbsp;The developed converter will have a reduced component count, enabling reduced failure modes, lower PCB area and it includes over voltage protection, fault tolerance, load monitoring, and allows control and status monitoring by a remote power system controller. This solution includes all controller circuitry and drivers integrated in a single CMOS ASIC chip, as well as the GaN-based DC-DC converterrsquo;s power stage.nbsp;Alphacorersquo;s converter will utilize CMOS based drivers and controllers for the GaN power stage. The driver and controller would be based on X-FABrsquo;s latest XT018 process, a 0.18 micro;m modular high-voltage SOI technology. It combines the benefit of conventional SOI wafers with Deep Trench Isolation (DTI), those of a state-of-the-art six metal layers 0.18 micro;m process, and localized partial SOI for unique high-voltage super-junction (SJ) power transistors. Unlike traditional high-voltage LDMOS devices from conventional bulk or SOI CMOS processes, the unique high-voltage SJ DMOS power transistors with VDS breakdown voltage of 100V, 140V and 200V offered in XT018 have reduced conduction loss (RDS) with the same silicon area, such that lower FOM (RDS‚àôQgd) is available for higher efficiency applications. The planar high-voltage SJ DMOS transistor also has significantly better radiation tolerance for both TID effects and SEE. In addition, the low-voltage CMOS devices (which we will use for the controller design) in this process are extremely radiation tolerant.nbsp;
