TI introduces its first automotive GaN FET, which delivers twice the power density and up to 99% efficiency

Texas Instruments has expanded its high-voltage power management product line with the introduction of next-generation 650V and 600V gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for automotive and industrial applications. Compared to existing solutions, the new GaN FET family features a fast-switching 2.2 MHz integrated gate driver that helps engineers deliver twice the power density and up to 99 percent efficiency, and reduces the size of power supply magnetic devices by 59 percent. TI has leveraged its unique GaN materials and processing capabilities on silicon (Si) -based gallium nitride substrates to develop the new FETs, which offer cost and supply chain advantages over comparable substrate materials such as silicon carbide (SiC).

Electrification is transforming the automotive industry, with consumers increasingly demanding vehicles that charge faster and have longer ranges. As a result, engineers urgently need to design more compact and lightweight automotive systems without compromising vehicle performance. Using TI's new automotive GaN FETs can reduce the size of electric vehicle (EV) on-board chargers and DC/DC converters by up to 50% compared to existing Si or SiC solutions, enabling engineers to extend battery life, improve system reliability and reduce design costs. In industrial design, these new devices enable higher efficiency and power density in AC/DC power delivery applications, such as hyperscale enterprise computing platforms and 5G telecom rectifiers, with lower power consumption and smaller board space footprint.

Asif Anwar, Director of Powertrain, Body, Chassis and Safety services at Strategy Analytics, said: "Wide-gap semiconductor technologies such as GaN have undoubtedly brought more stable performance to power electronics, especially high-voltage systems. "After more than a decade of investment and development, Texas Instruments offers a unique, holistic solution that combines the production and packaging of in-house silicon-based gallium nitride (GAN-on-SI) devices with optimized silicon-based driver technology to enable successful adoption of GaN in new applications."

"Industrial and automotive applications increasingly require more power in less space, and designers must provide power management systems that can operate reliably over the long life of end devices," said Steve Lambouses, vice president of high-voltage Power solutions at Texas Instruments. With more than 40 million hours of device reliability testing and more than 5 GWh of power conversion application testing, TI's GaN technology provides engineers with reliable, full lifecycle assurance to meet any market demand."

Double the power density with fewer devices

In high-voltage, high-density applications, minimizing board space is an important design goal. As electronic systems become smaller, their internal components must also continue to shrink and become more compact. TI's new GaNFET integrates fast switching drivers along with internal protection and temperature sensing capabilities, enabling engineers to achieve high performance while reducing board size and power consumption in power management designs. This integration, combined with the high power density of TI GaN technology, enables engineers to reduce more than 10 components in a typical discrete solution. In addition, each of the new 30mΩ FETs can support power conversion up to 4 kW when applied in a half-bridge configuration.

Create TI higher power factor correction (PFC) efficiency

Gans have the advantage of fast switching, enabling smaller, lighter, and more efficient power systems. In the past, to achieve fast switching performance, there was a higher power loss. To avoid this adverse consequence, the new GaN FETs employ TI's intelligent dead zone adaptive function to reduce power loss. For example, in PFCS, intelligent dead zone adaptive features reduce third quadrant losses by up to 66% compared to discrete GaN and SiC metal-oxide silicon FETs (MOSFETs). The intelligent dead zone adaptive feature also eliminates the need to control the adaptive dead zone time, thereby reducing firmware complexity and development time.

For greater thermal performance

Packaged products with TI GaN FETs have a thermal impedance 23% lower than their closest counterparts, allowing engineers to use smaller heat sinks while simplifying thermal design. Regardless of application scenario, these new devices offer greater thermal design flexibility and the choice of bottom or top cooling packages. In addition, the FET's integrated digital temperature reporting capability enables active power management, enabling engineers to optimize the thermal performance of the system under varying load and operating conditions.