A High-Gain, High-Bandwidth, Bidirectional Discrete GaN-Based SyncFET dv/dt Sensor for MHz Power Converters

Bright K. Banzie; Francis B. Effah; John K. Annan

doi:10.2478/pead-2025-0025

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A High-Gain, High-Bandwidth, Bidirectional Discrete GaN-Based SyncFET dv/dt Sensor for MHz Power Converters

Power Electronics and Drives

Volume 10 (2025): Issue 1 (January 2025)

By: Bright K. Banzie , Francis B. Effah and John K. Annan

Open Access

|Nov 2025

Figures & Tables

Traditional capacitor-based dv/dt sensor circuit for dv/dt control in GaN devices. GaN, gallium nitride.

Proposed synchronous capacitive dv/dt sensor circuit for dv/dt control in MHz frequency GaN devices. GaN, gallium nitride; MHz, megahertz.

The proposed SyncFET dv/dt sensor and AGD for turn-on dv/dt control. AGD, active gate driver; GaN, gallium nitride; SyncFET, synchronous GaN field-effect transistor.

Simulated VGS_sync waveforms of the SyncFET circuit at different VCC voltages. SyncFET, synchronous GaN field-effect transistor.

Simulated feedback current waveforms: (a) output from the 0.1 pF capacitor-only dv/dt sensor and (b) output from the 0.1 pF capacitor sensor enhanced by the proposed SyncFET circuit. SyncFET, synchronous GaN field-effect transistor.

Simulated waveforms of the resultant currents generated by the proposed AGD at different VCC voltages. AGD, active gate driver.

Comparison between simulated waveforms of the gate currents at different operating conditions.

Simulated VDS waveforms of the low-side GaN half-bridge under different operating conditions. GaN, gallium nitride.

DC–DC buck converter test PCB (photograph). GaN, gallium nitride.

Measured VGS waveform of the low-side GaN half-bridge at 4.5 V and 10 MHz. GaN, gallium nitride.

Measured VDS waveform of the low-side GaN half-bridge during turn-off at 10 MHz. GaN, gallium nitride.

Measured VDS waveform of the low-side GaN half-bridge during turn-on without dv/dt control. GaN, gallium nitride.

Measured VDS waveform of the low-side GaN half-bridge during turn-on with the proposed dv/dt control. GaN, gallium nitride.

Comparison of measured VDS waveforms of the low-side GaN device during turn-on with and without the proposed dv/dt control. GaN, gallium nitride.

Prototype circuit components, parameters and measurement set-up

Name	Parameter
Bus voltage (DC)	24 V
Operating frequency	10 MHz
Main transistors	100 V (EPC2106)
Current mirror transistors	100 V (EPC2106)
SyncFET	100 V (EPC2037)
Reverse transfer capacitance (*C_RSS*)	0.5 pF
Sensing capacitor (*C_S*)	0.1 pF (Vishay VJ0402D0R1VXBAJHT)
Degeneration resistor (*R_S*)	4 Ω
Charge pump circuit supply (*V_CC*)	2.5 V
Gate drive voltage (*v_DRV*)	4.5 V
Gate resistor (*R_G*)	7 Ω
Gate driver IC	200 V (Texas Instruments LMG1210)
Load inductor	3.5 µH (Würth Elektronik 744771003)
Load current (*i_L*)	120 mA
Oscilloscope	UNI-T UPO3352E (350 MHz 2.5 GSa/s)
Probe	UT-P08A (350 MHz)

Comparison of PON_loss for different dv/dt regulation techniques

Technique	R_G (Ω)	P_{ON_loss} (mW)	dv/dt (V/ns)
Without dv/dt	7	35.96	17
Increasing R_G	13	61.79	11.12
Capacitor-only dv/dt control	7	54.03	11
SyncFET dv/dt control	7	55.78	10

Comparative performance analysis of the proposed work and previous studies

Circuit parameters	Related literature					Proposed work
Circuit parameters	Sun et al. (2016)	Bau et al. (2020)	Liu et al. (2023)	Yu et al. (2023)	Yang et al. (2024)	Proposed work
Power switch	GaN	GaN	GaN	GaN	GaN	GaN
Bus voltage	300 V	50 V	300 V	400 V	200 V	24 V
Operating frequency	Not reported	1 MHz	1 MHz	1 MHz	1 MHz	10 MHz
Sensor capacitance	47 pF (discrete)	2 pF (discrete)	Not reported (parasitic C_DS)	Not reported (parasitic C_DS)	Not reported (integrated)	0.1 pF (discrete)
Gain amplification method	Gate current control	Width/length ratio adjustment	Width/length ratio adjustment	Width/length ratio adjustment	Comparator	SyncFET
Flexibility of gain amplification method	High (discrete voltage follower)	Low (integrated CMOS)	Low (integrated LDMOS)	Low (integrated high-voltage LDMOS)	Low (silicon-on-insulator)	High (discrete N-channel GaN SyncFET)
AGD implementation	Discrete	Integrated	Integrated	Integrated	Integrated	Discrete
Switching loss reduction	1.86%	15.85% @ 20 pF C_S	Not reported	16.2%	33.99%	16.7%
Response time	>2 µs	<1 ns	Not reported	<3 ns	Not reported	<1 ns
dv/dt regulation	8.8 V/ns	6.3 V/ns	14.3 V/ns	63.7 V/ns	22 V/ns	10 V/ns

References

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pead-2025-0025 | Journal eISSN: 2543-4292 | Journal ISSN: 2451-0262

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Language: English

Page range: 357 - 373

Submitted on: Aug 18, 2025

Accepted on: Oct 15, 2025

Published on: Nov 10, 2025

Published by: Wroclaw University of Science and Technology

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

Keywords:

GaN,

synchronous capacitive dv/dt sensor,

high-frequency power converters,

active gate driver,

dv/dt control

Related subjects:

Computer sciences,

Artificial intelligence,

Engineering,

Electrical engineering,

Electronics

© 2025 Bright K. Banzie, Francis B. Effah, John K. Annan, published by Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 10 (2025): Issue 1 (January 2025)

A High-Gain, High-Bandwidth, Bidirectional Discrete GaN-Based SyncFET dv/dt Sensor for MHz Power Converters

Figures & Tables

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Prototype circuit components, parameters and measurement set-up

Comparison of PON_loss for different dv/dt regulation techniques

Comparative performance analysis of the proposed work and previous studies

Paradigm

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