A Low-Power GaN Shift Register in GaN Monolithic Technology

Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology is being continuously advanced due to its favorable electrical and physical properties, particularly for high power switching uses. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for circuits using this technology, which necessitates monolithic implementation to maximise integration benefits. The development of integrated devices in GaN technology calls for auxiliary circuits, both digital and analogue, to accompany power circuits. A limitation of this technology is the lack of availability of the p-type transistor used in conventional analogue and digital design. In this paper, fundamental digital circuits have been designed with the intent to create digital memory circuits for data storage. The main goal is to reduce overall power consumption with custom-tailored solutions. Basic digital and analogue circuits have been analysed and optimised regarding power consumption efficiency and adaptability to power supply and temperature changes. A novel shift register topology in GaN monolithic technology from STMicroelectronics has been developed and tested through simulations.