TECHNOLOGY BRIEF: TB001
eGaN® TECHNOLOGY
EPCPOWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LEADER | EPC-CO.COM | ©2022 | | 1
Enhancement-Mode
Gallium Nitride Technology
EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION
• Lower on resistance – lower conductance losses
• Faster devices – less switching losses and no reverse recovery
• Less capacitance – less losses when charging and
discharging devices
• Less power needed to drive the circuit
• Smaller devices take up less space on the printed circuit board
• Lower cost
• GaN on silicon – inexpensive substrate
• Built in existing CMOS fab – mature, low cost process
• Lowers system cost – smaller and fewer passive components
• Works like an N-channel MOSFET only MUCH faster
• Integration – saves space, improves eciency, simplies
design, AND lowers cost.
�� Comprehensive design support – device models, application
notes, demo boards, technical articles
• Proven technology - Phase Ten reliability report published
after 85 billion hours in the eld
• Secure supply chain
• GaN is inherently radiation tolerant
GaN Enables New Capabilities
GaN is Cost Eective
GaN is Easy To Use
GaN is Reliable
The End of the Road for Silicon…
Disruptive solutions oer a path
to new levels of end product
dierentiation...Gallium nitride is a
disruptive solution!
Advantages of GaN FETs and ICs vs.
silicon in your power designs:
• Faster switching speed
• Smaller size
• Higher eciency
• Lower cost
AEC-Q101 Qualied
TECHNOLOGY BRIEF: TB001 eGaN® TECHNOLOGY
EPCPOWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LEADER | EPC-CO.COM | ©2022 | | 2
Enhancement-Mode Gallium Nitride (eGaN®) Transistors and Integrated Circuits
A GaN transistor is a wide bandgap device with superior conductivity
compared to traditional silicon transistors resulting in smaller devices
and lower capacitance for the same R
DS(on)
.
Enhancement-mode (normally-o) operation allows power designers
to take advantage of the performance benets of gallium nitride in a
switching application.
Capacitance and inductance impede switching speed. eGaN FETs’
small size and lateral structure give ultra low capacitance while the
chip-scale packaging gives low inductance enabling unprecedented
switching performance in terms of speed, voltage overshoot and
ringing. Zero Q
RR
also reduces losses at high frequency.
The switching performance of eGaN FETs and ICs enables higher power
density, higher frequency, higher switching precision, higher bus
voltage, and less voltage overhead. The technology can be scaled over
many power and voltage levels.
eGaN transistors and ICs are faster
eGaN transistors and ICs are more ecient
eGaN transistors and ICs are more thermally ecient for unmatched power density
Smaller, more ecient, and lower cost.
Increased eciency AND power.
eGaN FET design delivers 60% more output power in less than half the board area.
I
OUT
= 22 A
100
º
C
25
º
C
Q1 = 98
º
C
Q2 = 84
º
C
I
OUT
= 14 A
Q1 =
Q2 =
100
º
C
80
º
C
Fan speed = 200 LFM, V
IN
= 48 V, V
OUT
= 12 V, f
sw
= 300 kHz, L = 4.7 µH
Faster transistors ... smaller systems
1 kW LLC – Circa 2022
5000 W/in
3
1 kW LLC – Circa 2021
1266 W/in
3
Si
S D
GaN
AlGaN
Protection dielectric
Aluminum nitride
isolation layer
Two Dimensional
Electron Gas (2DEG)
Field plate
G
eGaN FET Silicon MOSFET
0
98
97
96
95
94
93
92
91
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 972
P
OUT
(W)
Eciency (%)
Loss (W)
97.5% peak eciency at 400 W
96.7% eciency at 1 kW
48 V input to 12 V output