An Efficient Multiresonant Gate Driver for Wide Bandgap Devices: Design Framework, Sensitivity Analysis, and Experimental Verification

This article presents a multiresonant gate driver (MRGD) for wide bandgap (WBG) devices. The design carries out a Monte Carlo analysis that incorporates a sensitivity analysis-based optimization technique for MRGDs, designed to drive WBG power MOSFETs. This is applicable to resonant power converters and resonant switched-mode power supply (SMPS). Unlike standard numerical design approaches that are reported in previous studies, the proposed approach streamlines the design process and shortens the product development time by using manufacturer SPICE models. The proposed design and optimization are simulated in LT SPICE, optimizing the key parameters that affect the multiresonant filter’s frequency response. The MRGD aims to maximize operational efficiency at high frequencies when used in SMPS and resonant power converters. The proposed concepts are assessed and validated through a hardware prototype. With the help of simulation and hardware verification, the MRGD demonstrated improved efficiency, achieving a 34.8% reduction in gate drive losses compared to an off-the-shelf conventional voltage-source gate driver (VSGD).