Monolithic GaN for a High-Efficiency Interleaved Boost Converter PFC in Automotive Applications

The pollution-reducing effort is pushing the automotive market towards greener alternatives to the internal combustion engine, the main examples being mild/plug-in hybrid and full electric solutions. In this context, having increasingly small, light, and energy-efficient DC/DC conversion systems is crucial. This paper presents a dual-phase interleaved boost converter power factor correction system. Thanks to the emerging GaN technology and a microcontroller-based control loop approach, it achieves a peak efficiency of about 98% when switching at 300 kHz under a 1.5 kW output load. The proposed converter then raises the standard in terms of performance vs system dimensions and weight, with the added benefits of a fast and precise control loop thanks to the dedicated controller and an interleaved topology that provides almost-zero output current ripple, a crucial point for a charging system that can help in reducing the high voltage battery wear over time.