July 27, 2026 / SemiMedia / — Infineon Technologies has introduced the RIC70115 radiation-hardened gate driver for satellite buses, payloads, power-conditioning units, power-distribution systems and DC-DC converters.

The RIC70115 is a single-channel device capable of operating as either a high-side or low-side driver. It is designed for radiation-hardened GaN Schottky-gate HEMTs and logic-level silicon FETs, including Infineon HiRel’s R8 rad-hard MOSFET family.

Support for both technologies allows space power designers to introduce faster-switching GaN devices while retaining silicon power transistors in parts of the system where they remain appropriate.

An integrated independent Miller clamp helps prevent unintended turn-on caused by rapid voltage transitions at the power switch drain. Separate source and sink outputs provide peak currents of 1.5A and 2.5A, respectively, while the maximum matched propagation delay is 2.9ns.

The device also incorporates truly differential input logic, which detects the voltage difference between its IN+ and IN− terminals. The input architecture supports common-mode voltages of up to 150V under static conditions and 200V dynamically, enabling high-side operation without an external digital isolator for level shifting.

An integrated low-dropout regulator converts a bias input ranging from 4.75V to 15V into a regulated 4.8V gate-drive supply. Designers can bypass the regulator and provide an external drive voltage or apply an external negative voltage to the COM pin for negative turn-off operation.

The RIC70115 has a total ionizing dose rating of 100krad(Si), with high-dose-rate testing characterized to 150krad(Si). Infineon reports no single-event burnout, single-event gate rupture or single-event latch-up at linear energy transfer levels up to 81.9MeV·cm²/mg. Single-event transients were also characterized to the same LET level.

The driver is supplied in a hermetically sealed 16-pin ceramic LCC package and operates across an ambient temperature range of −55°C to 125°C.

Infineon says the RIC70115 and RIC70115EVAL1 evaluation board are available. Its product brief and June 2026 datasheet state that electrical screening and qualification to MIL-PRF-38535 Class V are planned, with QML-V certification pending. Space-system designers should therefore confirm the qualification status and device level of the specific orderable part.

By combining radiation tolerance, high- and low-side operation, differential inputs, gate-drive regulation and Miller-clamp protection, the RIC70115 provides a supporting component for the adoption of GaN power conversion in satellites and other high-reliability spacecraft systems.