Transphorm's second 900 V GaN field-effect transistor is now in production

Transphorm, a pioneer in the development and manufacture of highly reliable, high-performance gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, has announced that the company's second 900 V GaN field-effect transistor (FET) is now in production. The TP90H050WS has a typical on-resistance of 50 milliohm and a transient peak rating of 1 kV and is now certified by the Joint Commission on Electronic Equipment Engineering (JEDEC). The primary target markets are a wide range of industrial and renewable energy applications, including photovoltaic inverters, battery charging, uninterruptible power, lighting and energy storage. In addition, with the 900V portfolio, Transphorm is gradually expanding the voltage range to cover three-phase applications.

The TP90H050WS, introduced last year, is the company's second 900V device after the TP90H180PS. The two-chip normally off power transistor is packaged in a standard TO-247 package with ±20 V gate robustness, which improves its reliability and designability in power systems. Transphorm's high-speed GaN, combined with the heat-resistant TO-247 package, enables the system TO achieve over 99% efficiency in a typical half-bridge configuration with bridgeless totem pole power factor correction (PFC) while generating up to 10 kW of power.

Philip Zuk, vice president of technical marketing and North American Sales at Transphorm, said: "The work Transphorm has done on its 900 V platform demonstrates what high-voltage gallium nitride power transistors can do. This device allows us to support applications that were previously inaccessible to us. In offering samples of these 50 milliohm FETs, we have witnessed strong interest from our customers. We are proud to say that their state of supply has now shifted to high-volume production that can meet customer demand."

900 V GaN application

The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is currently working with TP90H050WS in an Advanced Energy Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) Circuits program that uniquely combines Transphorm's cutting-edge products with IIT's innovative solid-state switching topology. The project will produce reliable solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBS) for renewable energy microgrids. It includes the development of an autonomously operated, programmable, intelligent bidirectional SSCB using 900 V GaN devices.

Dr. John Shen of the Illinois Institute of Technology explained, "Our SSCB project required a non-traditional power conversion solution that not only outperformed mechanical circuit breakers in terms of speed, but also needed to help us reduce power consumption. Transphorm's GaN technology exceeded our expectations. It offers a complete package, high power density, reliable bidirectivity, and as the only 900 V GaN device on the market, delivers unprecedented power output in a small package."