A commercial DC-DC converter multi-chip module (MCM) using GaN power device technology has been developed, offering improved DC-DC conversion efficiency in a smaller package. The keys to continued development are normal-off operation and higher withstand voltage.
Finally, power devices using gallium nitride (GaN) are entering commercial use. In February 2010, power device major International Rectifier Corp. (IR) of the US began sample-shipping the iP2010TRPbF (or just iP2010) and iP2011TRPbF (iP2011) MCMs using GaN power devices (Table.1). While tech start-ups have sample-shipped GaN power devices in the past, this is the first commercial release by a major manufacturer.
Until now, commercial GaN applications have been used in oscillators in blue-violet laser diodes for blue LEDs and Blu-ray Disc drives, and in high-frequency devices for mobile telephony base stations. Industry is excited about the potential for use in power devices, though, because compared to existing Si power devices they offer significant efficiency improvements in power conversion systems such as inverters and converters, and in smaller packages.
When the DC-DC converter from IR made with the iP2010, for example, is compared to the same IR MCM using a Si power device, the GaN design attains 4.5 percentage points better efficiency at 30A output (Fig.1). Higher efficiency is possible because power losses in the device have been reduced.
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