News: Microelectronics
7 November 2023
CGD forms GaN ecosystem with Chicony Power and Cambridge University Technical Services
Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd (CGD) — which was spun out of the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering’s Electrical Power and Energy Conversion group in 2016 and designs, develops and commercializes power transistors and ICs that use GaN-on-silicon substrates — has signed a tripartite agreement with Taiwan-based Chicony Power Technology Co Ltd and Cambridge University Technical Services (CUTS, a subsidiary of Cambridge Enterprise) to conceive and develop efficient, high-power-density adapters and data-center power products using gallium nitride.
Chicony Power is a provider of power electronics systems focusing on power supplies (including switch-mode power supplies) and adapters for applications including notebooks, desktop computers, gaming devices, and server/cloud solutions.
Lead consultant on behalf of CUTS is professor Florin Udrea, head of Cambridge University’s High Voltage Microelectronics and Sensor (HVMS) group, which has a 25-year history in power device design, TCAD simulations and characterization of power devices. The three parties will collaborate on a technical project ‘Innovative low power and high power SMPS (switch-mode power supplies) with advanced GaN solutions’.
CGD has historic and ongoing links with Cambridge University via chief executive officer Giorgia Longobardi and chief technology officer Florin Udrea, who also still leads the HVMS group.
The project is expected to deliver SMPS prototypes for highly efficient, high-density adapters for notebooks – where Chicony Power is said to be the market leader – and Titanium+ efficiency/high-power-density (>100W/inch3) CRPS and OCP power shelf (3~6kW) power supply unit for data-center and artificial intelligence (AI) server applications.
“Chicony Power is one of the leading SMPS manufacturers in the world, so this agreement represents an incredible milestone in CGD’s journey to deliver an efficient power device technology both to our customers and to society in general,” believes CEO & co-founder Giorgia Longobardi. “The combined strengths of our businesses together with the world-renowned HVMS group at Cambridge University will accelerate the development and adoption of high-energy-density power solutions in wide-ranging applications,” she adds.
“Chicony Power intends to collaborate with CGD and HVMS because of their significant expertise in GaN,” comments Chicony Power’s president Peter Tseng. “CGD has already delivered its second series of ICeGaN HEMT [high-electron-mobility transistor] devices, which offer top-notch performance in terms of ruggedness and ease-of-use,” he adds. “And because of its roots and still strong links with Cambridge University, CGD can call upon 25 years of academic experience – more than many other established GaN companies.”
Recently, CGD launched the second series of its ICeGaN 650V gallium nitride HEMT family. H2 Series ICeGaN HEMTs employ CGD’s smart gate interface that is said to virtually eliminate typical e-mode GaN weaknesses, delivering significantly improved over-voltage robustness, higher noise-immune threshold, dV/dt suppression and ESD protection. Like previous-generation devices, the new 650V H2 ICeGaN transistors are simple to drive using commercially available industry gate drivers. Finally, H2 ICeGaN HEMTs feature a QG that is 10x lower than silicon parts and a QOSS that is 5x less. This greatly reduces switching losses, with corresponding reductions in size and weight.
CGD’s ICeGaN HEMTs awarded ‘Best Demo’ at Innovation Zone of TSMC’s Europe Tech Symposium
CGD signs global distribution deal with DigiKey
CGD launches second series of ICeGaN 650V HEMTs
