News: Microelectronics
12 June 2024
CGD launches P2 series of ICeGaN power ICs
Fabless firm Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd (CGD) — which was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 to design, develop and commercialize power transistors and ICs that use GaN-on-silicon substrates — has launched its lowest ever on-resistance (RDS(on)) parts, which have been engineered with a new die and new packages to deliver the benefits of gallium nitride (GaN) to high-power applications such as data centers, inverters, motor drives and other industrial power supplies. New ICeGaN P2 series ICs feature RDS(on) levels down to 25mΩ, supporting multi-kW power levels with the highest efficiency.
“The explosive growth of AI is leading to a significant increase in energy consumption, prompting data-center systems designers to prioritize the use of GaN for high-power, efficient power solutions,” says chief commercial officer Andrea Bricconi. “This new series of power GaN ICs is a stepping stone for CGD to support our customers and partners by achieving and exceeding 100kW/rack power density in data centers, required by most recent TDP (thermal design power) trends for high-density computing. Turning to motor control inverters, developers are looking to GaN to reduce heat for smaller, longer-lasting system power. These are just two examples of markets that CGD is now aggressively targeting with these new high-power ICeGaN ICs,” he adds. “Simplified gate driver design and reduced system costs, combined with advanced high-performance packaging, make P2 series ICs an excellent choice for these applications.”
Incorporating an on-chip Miller clamp to eliminate shoot-through losses during fast switching and implementing 0V turn-off to minimize reverse conduction losses, ICeGaN ICs outperform discrete e-mode GaN and other incumbent technologies, it is claimed. The new packages offer improved thermal resistance performance as low as 0.28K/W – again, equivalent or better than anything else currently available on the market, CGD claims – and the dual-gate pinout of the dual-side DHDFN-9-1 (Dual Heat-spreader DFN) package facilitates optimal PCB layout and simple paralleling for scalability, enabling cu stomers to address multi-kW applications with ease. The new packages have also been engineered to improve productivity, with wettable flanks to simplify optical inspection.
New P2 series ICeGaN power ICs are sampling now. The family includes four devices with RDS(on) levels of 25mΩ and 55mΩ, rated at 60A and 27A, in 10mm x 10mm-footprint DHDFN-9-1 and BHDFN-9-1 (Bottom Heat-spreader DFN) packages. In common with all CGD ICeGaN products, the P2 series can be driven using any standard MOSFET or IGBT driver.
Two demo boards feature the new P2 devices: a single leg of a 3-phase automotive inverter demo board( developed in partnership with the French public R&I institute IFP Energies nouvelles) and a 3kW totem-pole power factor correction (PFC) demo board.
The new P2 series ICeGaN power ICs and demo boards are being unveiled publicly in booth #7-643 at the Power, Control and Intelligent Motion (PCIM) Europe 2024 exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany (11-13 June).
CGD demos new ICeGaN 650V GaN ICs at PCIM Europe
CGD adds new ICeGaN power IC packages with enhanced thermal performance
