Gallium Nitride: A game changing technology for power electronics

Each electrical and electronic system needs electrical power delivered to it, through a power conversion system such as an AC/DC or DC/AC inverter, or a voltage step down- or upconverter.  The GaN/AlGaN material system with a critical electric field for breakdown 10 times higher than Si, and the fast-switching HEMT device architecture enable power conversion systems that are not only more power efficient, but also more compact due to their operation at high frequency.  This operating frequency can be up to 10 times higher compared to equivalent systems using Si power devices and results in the reduction of the capacitive and inductive components in the system enabling small volume and lightweight power converters.

While GaN-based fast chargers for mobile phones, tablets and laptops, are the first volume products widely accepted, power supplies for the power-hungry AI datacenters are a new opportunity for GaN power device mass production, both at the high voltage side of the power conversion chain, as for the middle and low voltage stages.  They also allow higher levels of integration which facilitates bringing the DC/DC medium voltage and Point-of-load low voltage systems closer to the XPUs. 

Another emerging opportunity for GaN power devices is robotic power systems, where high efficiency and compact distributed power systems enable lighter, more agile robots. GaN supports efficient motor drives and power management, reducing thermal constraints while improving battery life, mobility, and actuation precision.