Reducing the dead time duration allows less Qin. Without changing Qout, a lower Qin results in a lower steady-state voltage on Cboot. Reducing dead time is generally favorable for reducing overcharge and dead time losses. However, reducing dead time increases the risk of shoot-through, and margin is needed for load and temperature conditions. Additionally, many controllers do not have the precision to make reliable 1 ns adjustments to timing.

Given this, precise dead time control is vital for bootstrap overcharge prevention in GaN half-bridge drivers. LMG1210 has nanosecond-scale and adjustable dead time control, in addition to the built-in bootstrap overcharge prevention circuits discussed previously. Please see the Optimizing Efficiency Through Dead Time Control With the LMG1210 GaN Driver application note for more information.