News: Microelectronics
27 July 2022
Transphorm’s SuperGaN Gen IV technology powering Phihong’s new 65W 2C1A USB PD adapter
Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures JEDEC- and AEC-Q101-qualified gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for high-voltage power conversion — says that its GaN technology is powering the new 65W 2C1A USB PD adapter by Phihong, a global supplier of power products and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The adapters leverage Transphorm’s SuperGaN Gen IV technology, a GaN FET platform that is said to offer benefits ranging from easy system design-in with lower system component count to higher performance with world-class reliability.
Capable of charging three devices simultaneously, Phihong’s 65W adapter includes two USB-C ports and one USB-A port (2C1A) in a small form factor (51mm x 55.3mm x 29mm). The charger leverages a single 650V SuperGaN device, the TP65H300G4LSG, for an approximate 17% reduction in power loss over a silicon solution using a quasi-resonant flyback (QRF) topology. The adapter also offers USB PD and PPS functionality up to 65W.
The TP65H300G4LSG is a 240mΩ, JEDEC-qualified PQFN88 surface-mount device with a ±18V gate safety margin. The FET is optimal for lower-power applications at 150W or below built on QRF, active-clamp flyback (ACF) or LLC resonant topologies.
Transphorm’s TP65H300G4LSG offers silicon-like threshold levels and high gate breakdown voltage (±18V maximum). It can pair with off-the-shelf controllers (including those with integrated drivers) without the need for a negative-bias voltage. This simplifies the power system’s design; eliminates the need for additional peripheral circuitry (thereby reducing component count), and increases overall system reliability — all key reasons behind Phihong’s decision to use the Transphorm FET.
Facts and Factors recently released a report projecting that the global AC-to-DC adapter market will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% to $1.854m by 2026. Transphorm also reported in May that its 240mΩ device is gaining traction, with it securing pre-production orders from ODMs for large Asia mobile phone (65W) and leading WW e-retailer (140W) projects. Additionally, the firm’s increase in market share is being driven by another laptop adapter design-win from a tier-1 Fortune 100 company, which includes an initial purchase order of 50,000 units of the SuperGaN 240mΩ FETs. These FETs provide higher efficiency for 65W fast-charging adapter applications versus competing e-mode GaN FETs that require a larger 150mΩ device for similar applications (so the SuperGaN FETs allow customers to do more with less).
“Our SuperGaN platform is built from the ground up with four key tenets in mind: reliability, designability, drivability and reproducibility. Our 240mΩ device is no exception,” says Kenny Yim, Transphorm’s VP of Asia Pacific sales. “We enable adapter manufacturers to design small, light and cool-running products that can offer the latest in advanced USB charging features. It is that type of innovation that is driving GaN adoption in the global adapter market, positioning us to strengthen our foothold in the market with a high-performing solution backed by high-volume production capabilities,” he adds.
The TP65H300G4LSG is currently available through distributors Digi-Key and Mouser.
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