Integration of 650V GaN FETs with Drive and Logic

Navitas Semiconductor today announced the world's first Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power ICs, using its proprietary AllGaN™ monolithically-integrated 650V platform. Combining GaN power FETs with GaN logic and drive circuits enables 10x to 100x higher switching frequencies than existing silicon circuits, enabling smaller, lighter power electronics at lower cost. Navitas expects to enable a new generation of high frequency, energy efficient converters for smartphone and laptop chargers, OLED TVs, LED lighting, solar inverters, wireless charging devices and datacenters.

AllGaN is a new process design kit (PDK) developed by Navitas to monolithically-integrate and enhancement-mode GaN power FET and GaN driver and GaN logic on the same die. It will be the foundation of several new series of GaN Power ICs with various voltages, power ratings, and feature-sets that will be announced in the near future.

“GaN has tremendous potential to displace silicon in the power electronics market given its inherent high-speed, high-efficiency capabilities as a power FET,” says Dan Kinzer, Navitas CTO & COO. “Previously, that potential was limited by the lack of equally high performance circuits to drive the GaN FETs quickly and cost effectively. Navitas has solved this remaining challenge to unlock the full potential of the power GaN market. With monolithic integration of GaN drive and logic circuits with GaN power FETs, the industry now has a path to cost-effective, easy-to-use, high-frequency power system designs.”

CEO Gene Sheridan added, “The last time power electronics experienced a dramatic improvement in density, efficiency and cost was in the late 70s when silicon MOSFETs replaced bipolar transistors, enabling a transition from linear regulators to switching regulators. A 10x improvement in density, 3x reduction in power losses and 3x lower cost resulted a short time thereafter. A similar market disruption is about to occur in which GaN power ICs will enable low-frequency, silicon-based power systems to be replaced by high-frequency GaN with dramatic improvements in density, efficiency and cost. This is an exciting time for the industry.”

Navitas will introduce the AllGaN platform and GaN Power ICs in a keynote titled “Breaking Speed Limits with GaN Power ICs” at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) on Monday 21st March.

Navitas is the world’s first and only GaN Power IC company, founded in El Segundo, CA, USA in 2013. Navitas has a strong and growing team of power semiconductor industry experts with a combined 200 years of experience in materials, circuits, applications, systems and marketing, plus a proven record of innovation with over 125 patents among its founders. The proprietary AllGaN™ process design kit monolithically-integrates the highest performance 650V GaN FET and GaN driver capabilities. Navitas GaN Power ICs enable smaller, higher energy efficient and lower cost power for mobile, consumer, enterprise and new energy markets. Over 25 Navitas proprietary patents are granted or pending.