GaN

With USB Power Delivery in mind, EPC has designed a 180W GaN dc-dc converter evaluation board. Its two-phase power section occupies only 24 x 24mm, using both sides of the board and ignoring input and output bulk capacitors. Called EPC91109 and intended to implement USB-PD 3.1, it delivers 12, 16 or 20V from an input range of 20 to 36V. ...

Renesas has introduced three 650V GaN power transistors, aimed at server power supplies and e-mobility chargers. “Designed for multi-kilowatt-class applications, these devices combine GaN technology with a silicon-compatible gate drive input,” according to the company. “Offered in TOLT, TO-247 and TOLL package options, the devices give engineers the flexibility to customize their thermal management and board design.” The result of ...

Microchip has introduced a 15W radiation-rated dc-dc converter for space use. Intended to be fed from a satallite’s 28V bus (22V to 42V, 50V abs max), SA15-5-5T has three isolated 5V 1A outputs that can be paralleled for more current or connected in series for higher voltages. Output ripple is <1%, and operation is over-55 to 125°C, with de-rating above ...

Wise Integration has released its GaN PFC (power factor correction) controller chip to production. WIW1101 is based on a 32bit MCU, said the company, and is specifically for totem pole PFCs operating in critical conduction mode (CrCM), switching at up to 2MHz and delivering between 100W and 1.5kW. Its proprietary internal algorithm “enables ZVS [zero voltage switching] across all power ...

Imec has developed a GaN MOSHEMT on silicon that achieves both record efficiency and output power for an enhancement-mode (E-mode) device operating at low supply voltage. In parallel, imec also demonstrated a record-low contact resistance of 0.024Ω· mm which is essential to further boost output power in future designs. The results mark a crucial step toward integrating GaN technology into ...

Infineon Technologies has announced a rad-hardened GaN transistor designed to operate in harsh space environments. It “is the first in-house manufactured GaN transistor to earn the highest quality certification of reliability assigned by the United States Defense Logistics Agency to the JANS specification MIL-PRF-19500/794”, according to the company. “The gallium nitride hemts [high electron mobility transistors] are engineered for mission-critical ...

EPC aims to displace silicon mosfets from secondary-side synchronous rectifiers with its latest 40V GaN power transistor, designed specifically for 48V to 12V LLC dc-dc converters. “With the EPC2366, and upcoming lower voltage parts, we are expanding the GaN beach-head across low-voltage applications that have long been dominated by silicon,” said EPC CEO Alex Lidow. Packaged in 3.3 x 2.6mm ...

Navitas Semiconductor is aiming at motors up to 600W with a GaN motor drive IC. “Specifically designed for motor drive applications, this integrated solution combines two GaN FETs in a half-bridge configuration with drive, control, sensing and autonomous protection,” according to the company. Called NV6288, it is a 650V part with two 120mΩ GaN HEMTs in an 8 x 10mm ...

For those wanting a little more on the advantages of GaN power transistors in small mains power supplies, ElectrArc240 has created an excellent YouTube video. ElectrArc240 has clearly knows what he talking about and has spent a long time testing different aspects of two similar power supplies to succinctly demonstrate their differences: one with a GaN hemt main switch and ...

Alex Lidow and Marco Palma look at the value of high-frequency motor drives, their advantages and the capabilities of GaN technology, which make them suitable for today’s demanding applications. Modern, sophisticated applications, such as humanoid robots, require motor drives to deliver precise control over speed, torque and efficiency for electric motor applications. These systems have evolved significantly in recent decades ...