【World Express】King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Develops Sub-1 mm² Gallium Oxide Gate Driver Chip

      Recently, the Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory (ASL) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has reported new progress in the field of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors. The research team successfully developed a monolithically integrated Gallium Oxide gate driver chip.

      The core breakthrough of this chip lies in its highly integrated design. Within an ultra-compact footprint of just 0.96 mm², it integrates both level shifting and power amplification functions. This achievement demonstrates the significant potential of Gallium Oxide for power integrated circuits (Power ICs) and lays the groundwork for future high–power-density power modules.

Technical Highlights: High Performance in a Miniaturized Footprint

      Traditional discrete gate driver solutions are often limited by parasitic inductance and capacitance, which reduce switching speed and increase overall system size. The KAUST team addressed these challenges through several key innovations:

      Compact circuit architecture: The chip adopts a multi-finger MOSFET structure combined with recessed thin-film load resistors, seamlessly integrating a resistor–transistor logic (RTL) level shifter with a push-pull output buffer.

      Advanced dielectric engineering: A dual-layer gate dielectric was implemented, significantly reducing interface state density and limiting hysteresis voltage to below 0.1 V.

      Strong driving capability: Within a 0–7.5 V control range, the driver delivers output currents of up to 8.4 mA.

Performance: Moving Toward Sub-Megahertz Applications

      Dynamic characterization shows excellent switching performance:

      Fast response: When driving an 840 pF capacitive load, the turn-on time is 996 ns and the turn-off time is only 400 ns.

      High-frequency capability: The maximum switching frequency reaches approximately 716 kHz, making it suitable for sub-megahertz power conversion applications.

      Reliable operation: Stable and repeatable switching waveforms were maintained across a duty cycle range of 20% to 80%.

Why Gallium Oxide?

      Compared with more mature wide bandgap materials such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN), Gallium Oxide offers a wider bandgap (4.8–4.9 eV) and a higher critical breakdown electric field. This enables devices to withstand higher voltages while maintaining smaller form factors. In addition, Gallium Oxide supports large-area substrate fabrication via cost-effective melt-growth techniques, offering strong commercial potential.

Outlook

      Although SiC and GaN drivers still maintain advantages in switching speed, this work highlights Gallium Oxide’s strong potential as an emerging platform for next-generation high-voltage power ICs. Future research will focus on further integration of high-voltage MOSFETs and continued optimization of switching speed, current density, and noise margins under low-voltage operation.

Paper Information

      The work was published in the journal Chip under the title “Monolithic β-Ga₂O₃ Gate Driver Integrated Circuit.”
Authors: Ganesh Mainali, Dhanu Chettri, Glen Isaac Maciel García, Mritunjay Kumar, Vishal Khandelwal, Saravanan Yuvaraja, and Xiaohang Li.
Original publication link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chip.2025.100189