Texas Instruments recently launched the next-generation 650V and 600V gallium nitride (GaN) field effect transistors (FET) for automotive and industrial applications, expanding its high-voltage power management product portfolio. With a fast-switching, 2.2-MHz integrated gate driver, the new families of GaN FETs help engineers deliver twice the power density, achieve 99% efficiency and reduce the size of power magnetics by 59% compared to existing solutions. TI developed these new FETs using its proprietary GaN materials and processing capabilities on a GaN-on-silicon (Si) substrate, providing a cost and supply-chain advantage over comparable substrate materials such as silicon carbide (SiC).
Vehicle electrification is transforming the automotive industry, and consumers are increasingly demanding vehicles that can charge faster and drive farther. As a result, engineers are being challenged to design compact, lightweight automotive systems without compromising vehicle performance. Using TI's new automotive GaN FETs can help reduce the size of electric vehicle (EV) onboard chargers and DC/DC converters by as much as 50% compared to existing Si or SiC solutions – enabling engineers to achieve extended battery range, increased system reliability and lower design cost. In industrial designs, the new devices enable high efficiency and power density in AC/DC power-delivery applications where low losses and reduced board space are important – such as hyperscale and enterprise computing platforms as well as 5G telecom rectifiers.
"Wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies like GaN inherently bring firmly established capabilities to power electronics, especially for high-voltage systems," said Asif Anwar, director of the Powertrain, Body, Chassis & Safety Service at Strategy Analytics. "Texas Instruments leverages over a decade of investment and development to deliver a uniquely holistic approach – combining internal GaN-on-Si device production and packaging with optimized Si driver technology to successfully implement GaN in new applications."
"Industrial and automotive applications increasingly demand more power in less space, and designers must deliver proven power management systems that operate reliably over the long lifetime of the end equipment," said Steve Lambouses, vice president for High Voltage Power at TI. "Backed by more than 40 million device reliability hours and more than 5 GWh of power conversion application testing, TI's GaN technology provides the lifetime reliability engineers require in any market."
Package, availability and pricing
Pre-production versions of the four new industrial-grade, 600-V GaN FETs are available now, only on TI.com, in a 12-mm-by-12-mm, quad flat no-lead (QFN) package with pricing listed in the table below. TI expects the industrial devices to ship in volume production in the first quarter of 2021. Evaluation modules are available for purchase on TI.com starting at US$199.
Pre-production versions of the new LMG3522R030-Q1 and LMG3525R030-Q1 650-V automotive GaN FETs and evaluation modules are expected to be available for purchase on TI.com in the first quarter of 2021. For more information, see www.ti.com/LMG3425R030-pr and www.ti.com/LMG3525R030-Q1-pr
