A revisit on the “reliability test” methodologies for GaN based lateral high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in terrestrial power applications

The increasing demand for compact, efficient, and high-power electronic systems is accelerating the transition from Silicon (Si) to wide-bandgap semiconductors such as Gallium Nitride (GaN). With its high electron mobility, wide bandgap, and strong breakdown field, GaN is becoming a good candidate for next-generation power conversion technologies. While GaN devices have shown excellent performance and encouraging reliability in various applications, existing approaches to their reliability evaluation and lifetime prediction remain fragmented, leading to inconsistent qualification methodologies across the industry. This review consolidates and classifies the reliability tests performed on GaN power devices, distinguishing between stability, reliability, and robustness evaluations. It identifies how conventional Si-based tests have been adapted to GaN and also introduces GaN-specific evaluations to demonstrate reliability. Structural advancements are reviewed in relation to their reported reliability outcomes. The study further clarifies the roles of HALT, ALT, and reliability demonstration tests (RDTs), highlighting some current misconceptions in lifetime extrapolation and the need for GaN-specific, physics-based acceleration models to achieve consistent and predictive reliability assessment.