Electronics Industry Awards 2021 Catch here CIE JULYAUG21 EIA dps:Layout 1 22/07/2021 14:18 Page 1
Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power ICs Delivering a Sustainable Power Revolution
S
ilicon has reached the limit of its performance in power applications such as mobile fast chargers, data centers, electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. OEMs and design houses are seeking alternative, more efficient semiconductor technologies that will not only meet the demanding performance and form factor requirements of next-generation products and systems but will also support environmental sustainability through more efficient energy use. Gallium nitride (GaN) addresses these issues by significantly improving performance over legacy silicon while reducing the energy and physical space needed to deliver that performance. That’s why GaN technology has a critical role to play in accelerating the transition to a sustainable future.
While a number of manufacturers are offering discrete GaN IC, which are vulnerable and require a host of external components for drive, protection and control, Navitas uniquely provides truly-integrated GaN devices that bring together GaN power, GaN drive, control and protection in a single chip. These “GaNFast™” power ICs improve speed, efficiency, reliability and deliver up to 3x faster charging or 3x more power in half the size and weight of legacy silicon chips.
GaNFast Delivers Performance and Reliability GaNFast ICs are easy-to-use ‘digital-in, power-out’ high- performance powertrain building blocks the enable designers to create the world’s fastest, smallest and most efficient power designs. With monolithic (single chip) integration of GaN FET(s), GaN driver(s), plus logic and protection, GaN power ICs minimize the delay and eliminate the parasitic inductances that restrict the switching speeds of silicon and discrete GaN alternatives. This means virtually zero loss in turn-off because the gate-source loop has essentially zero impedance. In addition, turn-on performance can be controlled and customized for optimum EMI performance. GaNFast ICs operate at frequencies up to 2MHz and are rated up to 650V nominal operation. Peak handling capability of up to 800V ensures robust operation during transient events. As true power ICs, the GaN gate is fully protected, and the devices have an industry-leading electrostatic discharge (ESD) specification of 2kV.
Target applications include power adapters and fast chargers for mobile phones and laptops, switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) for servers and networking equipment, LED lighting,
solar micro-inverters, TVs and monitors, and wireless power systems. GaN power ICs deliver up to 3x faster charging with half the size and weight of silicon alternatives and enable energy savings of up to 40%. The integration of all key elements into a single device minimizes time-to-market by maximizing the chance of right-first-time designs. As of August 1st, 2021, over 25,000,000 GaNFast power ICs have been shipped with zero GaN-related field failures.
GaNFast for Sustainability
GaN’s energy savings allow designers to make an important contribution to ensuring better use of energy and the reduction of carbon emissions. What’s more, GaN technology has become one of the critical enablers for accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy that is essential to achieving goals for net zero carbon emissions. GaN-based eMobility solutions address key consumer concerns that hamper the rapid uptake of electric vehicles. GaN power IC
efficiency ultimately helps to deliver faster charging times, reduce inverter power dissipation, lower the size, weight and cost of batteries and extend driving range. As a result, Navitas believes EV adoption could be accelerated by up to three years with GaN.
In the renewables sector, by significantly reducing the ‘cost-per-watt’, GaN has a fundamental role in accelerating the adoption of solar energy. Choosing GaN power ICs in solar-power micro-inverters allows system energy savings to be improved by as much as 40% and inverter cost to be reduced by up to 25%, so reducing the payback period by 10% or more. And it’s not only when they are in use that GaN power ICs play their part in supporting environmental sustainability goals. The high levels of integration of Navitas GaNFast ICs, in combination with reduced die size and fewer manufacturing process steps, means that these power devices have a CO2 footprint that is 10x smaller than silicon alternatives. As a result, each GaN power IC shipped is estimated to save 4kg of CO2 emissions, with an estimated 2.6 Gtons of CO2 emissions addressed by GaN by the time of the Paris Accord target – 2050.
electronicsindustryawards.co.uk
Components in Electronics
EIA Supplement 2021 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34
