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Manufacturers of cutting-edge audio equipment constantly seek to enhance sound quality while also meeting the growing demand for compact, lightweight, more integrated, and energy-efficient designs. At the same time, they must ensure seamless connectivity, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendly functionality, making audio product development more complex than ever.
To overcome these challenges, SounDigital has integrated CoolGaN™ transistors from Infineon Technologies AG into its new 1500 W Class D amplifier, featuring an 800 kHz switching frequency and five channels. Infineon’s advanced GaN technology has improved the energy efficiency of the amplifier by five percent and reduced energy loss by 60 percent.
“We are excited to enhance the performance of our audio amplifiers using Infineon’s GaN power semiconductors, enabling us to inspire people and provide entertainment by amplifying music around the world,” said Juliano Anflor, CEO of SounDigital. “GaN transistors significantly enhances our overall system performance with minimized system cost and increased ease of use.”
“GaN technology is transforming the audio amplifier industry, providing unparalleled efficiency and performance,” said Johannes Schoiswohl, Head of the GaN Business Line at Infineon. “Infineon’s leading GaN solutions deliver superior sound quality, higher power density, and reduced energy consumption, enabling SounDigital’s audio systems to reach new levels of fidelity and performance.”
For its 1500 W Class D amplifier, SounDigital selected Infineon’s 100 V normally-off E-mode transistors: IGC033S101 in a PQFN-3×5 package and IGB110S101 in a PQFN-3×3 package. With their low on-resistance, the transistors are ideal for demanding high-current applications, enabling significant improvements in both sound quality and efficiency of SounDigital’s amplifier.
The GaN-based amplifier also delivers high performance while reducing power dissipation by 75 W, allowing for a 50 percent smaller heat sink. Additionally, the overall system size has been reduced by 40 percent without compromising performance. The audio quality has been further improved by the CoolGaN transistors, with total harmonic distortion (THD) reduced by 70 percent, enabling a more precise and detailed sound experience. At the same time, the idle current has been reduced by 40 percent, significantly improving energy efficiency.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Texas Instruments (TI) announced a new family of radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant half-bridge gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistor (FET) gate drivers. This family of gate drivers includes the industry’s first space-grade GaN FET driver that supports up to 200V operation.
The devices are available in pin-to-pin compatible ceramic and plastic packaging options and support three voltage levels. TI’s advancements in space-grade power products enable engineers to design satellite power systems for all types of space missions using just one chip supplier.
Satellite systems are growing increasingly complex to meet the demand for more on-orbit processing and data transmission, higher-resolution imaging, and more precise sensing. To improve mission capabilities, engineers strive to maximize electrical power system efficiency. TI’s new gate drivers are designed to accurately drive GaN FETs with fast rise and fall times, improving power-supply size and density. This allows a satellite to more effectively use the power generated by its solar cells to perform mission functions.
“Satellites perform critical missions, from providing global internet coverage to monitoring climate and shipping activity, enabling humans to better understand and navigate the world,” said Javier Valle, product line manager, Space Power Products at TI. “Our new portfolio enables satellites in low, medium and geosynchronous earth orbits to operate in the harsh environment of space for an extended period of time, all while maintaining high levels of power efficiency.”
For more information, read the technical article, “How you can optimize SWaP for next-generation satellites with electronic power systems.”
Optimizing size, weight and power (SWaP) using GaN technology can:
- Improve electrical system performance.
- Extend mission lifetimes.
- Reduce satellite mass and volume.
- Minimize thermal management overload.
Designers can use the family for applications spanning the entire electrical power system.
- The 200V GaN FET gate driver is suitable for propulsion systems and input power conversion in solar panels.
- The 60V and 22V versions are intended for power distribution and conversion across the satellite.
TI’s family of space-grade GaN FET gate drivers offers different space-qualified packaging options for the three voltage levels, including:
- Radiation-hardened; Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) Class P and QML Class V in plastic and ceramic packages, respectively.
- Radiation-tolerant Space Enhanced Plastic (SEP) products.
John Dorosa, a TI systems engineer, will present “How to easily convert a hard-switched full bridge to a zero-voltage-switched full bridge” on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 9:20 a.m. Eastern time at the Applied Power Electronics Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This industry session will feature TI’s TPS7H6003-SP gate driver.
Production quantities of the TPS7H6003-SP, TPS7H6013-SP, TPS7H6023-SP and TPS7H6005-SEP are available now on TI.com. Preproduction quantities of the TPS7H6015-SEP and TPS7H6025-SEP are also available, with the TPS7H6005-SP, TPS7H6015-SP and TPS7H6025-SP available for purchase by June 2025. Additionally, development resources include evaluation modules for all nine devices, as well as reference designs and simulation models.
Original – Texas Instruments
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Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology plays a crucial role in enabling power electronics to reach the highest levels of performance. However, GaN suppliers have thus far taken different approaches to package types and sizes, leading to fragmentation and lack of multiple footprint-compatible sources for customers.
Infineon Technologies AG addresses this challenge by announcing the high-performance gallium nitride CoolGaN™ G3 Transistor 100 V in RQFN 5×6 package (IGD015S10S1) and 80 V in RQFN 3.3×3.3 package (IGE033S08S1).
“The new devices are compatible with industry-standard silicon MOSFET packages, meeting customer demands for a standardized footprint, easier handling and faster-time-to-market,” said, Dr. Antoine Jalabert, Product Line Head for mid-voltage GaN at Infineon.
The CoolGaN G3 100 V Transistor devices will be available in a 5×6 RQFN package with a typical on-resistance of 1.1 mΩ. Additionally, the 80 V transistor in a 3.3×3.3 RQFN package has a typical resistance of 2.3 mΩ. These transistors offer a footprint that, for the first time, allows for easy multi-sourcing strategies and complementary layouts to Silicon-based designs. The new packages in combination with GaN offer a low-resistance connection and low parasitics, enabling high performance transistor output in a familiar footprint.
Moreover, this chip and package combination allows for high level of robustness in terms of thermal cycling, in addition to improved thermal conductivity, as heat is better distributed and dissipated due to the larger exposed surface area and higher copper density.
Samples of the GaN transistors IGE033S08S1 and IGD015S10S1 in RQFN packages will be available in April 2025.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) has successfully closed a $32 million Series C funding round. The investment was led by a strategic investor with participation from British Patient Capital and supported by existing investors Parkwalk, BGF, Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), Foresight Group, and IQ Capital.
Transforming Power Electronics with GaN
Gallium nitride-based devices represent a breakthrough in power electronics, offering faster switching speeds, lower energy consumption, and more compact designs than traditional silicon-based solutions. CGD’s proprietary monolithic ICeGaN® technology, which simplifies the implementation of GaN into existing and progressive designs, delivers efficiency levels exceeding 99%, enabling energy savings of up to 50% in a wide range of high-power applications including electric vehicles and data centre power supplies. These innovations have the potential to save millions of tons of CO2 emissions annually, accelerating the global transition to more sustainable energy systems due to the inherent ease-of-use that ICeGaN® technology provides to its customers.Dr. Giorgia Longobardi, CEO and Founder of CGD, said: “This funding round marks a pivotal moment for CGD. It validates our technology and vision to revolutionize the power electronics industry with our efficient GaN solutions and make sustainable power electronics possible. We’re now poised to accelerate our growth and make a significant impact in reducing energy consumption across multiple sectors. We look forward to collaborating with our strategic investor to penetrate the automotive market”.
Market Opportunity and Proven Success
The global GaN power device market is projected to grow at a remarkable CAGR of 41%, reaching $2 billion by 20291. At the same time, ICeGaN® is being seen as a viable alternative to existing solutions using Silicon Carbide (SiC), combining high energy-efficiency, miniaturization, and monolithically integrated smart functionalities. This will enable Cambridge GaN Devices to have access to a high power market estimated to be in excess of $10 billion by 20291. With its cutting-edge technology and market leadership position, CGD is well positioned to capitalize on this rapid market expansion. Having successfully secured industry-leading customers in their pipeline, CGD has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver reliable and impactful solutions, enabling innovation in the sector.Henryk Dabrowski, SVP of Sales at CGD, said: “I’m thrilled to see this funding helping to deliver on customer deals we’ve already closed for CGD’s latest-generation P2 products. This investment will significantly boost our ability to meet the growing demand for our reliable and easy-to-use GaN solutions.”
Global Expansion and Vision for the Future
With a global team of experts, decades of research, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of GaN technology, CGD continues to deliver solutions that enhance everyday electronics. As the world advances toward electrification and sustainability, CGD’s leadership in GaN technology offers a pathway to reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and mitigate environmental impact. By enabling efficient, compact, and high-performance power devices, CGD is setting a new standard for sustainable power electronics.The funding will enable the company to expand its operations in Cambridge, North America, Taiwan and Europe, and deliver CGD’s unique value proposition to its growing customer base. This significant investment will fuel CGD’s growth strategy, focusing on the continued delivery of highly efficient GaN products to high-power industrial, data centre, and automotive markets. John Pearson, Chief Investment Officer at Parkwalk Advisors, said: “CGD is at the forefront of technology that can reduce the energy demands of booming industries, like Artificial Intelligence and Electric Mobility. It has enormous global potential and widespread applications which will see CGD continue to innovate and grow. We are proud to have backed CGD since 2019 and are excited to be working with an exceptional team and cohort of other investors to accelerate its global expansion.”
George Mills, Director – Deeptech, Direct & Co-Investments, British Patient Capital, said: “Following years of research, Cambridge GaN Devices have proven the impact of their semiconductor technology. Their GaN devices consume less energy than their silicon-based counterparts, which both reduces costs and has a positive environmental impact. It’s valuable technology that now needs long-term capital to scale.”
Original – Cambridge GaN Devices
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Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) announced the release of the 4th edition of its groundbreaking textbook, GaN Power Devices for Efficient Power Conversion.
This latest edition reflects the rapid advancements in GaN technology and its transformative impact across various industries, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, data centers, robotics, and space applications. Co-authored by EPC CEO Dr. Alex Lidow and a team of GaN experts, the textbook remains an indispensable resource for engineers, students, and industry innovators looking to stay at the forefront of power electronics.
What’s New in the 4th Edition
- Expanded coverage on the integration of GaN into new applications such as AI servers, autonomous systems, and eMobility
- Updates on design techniques that maximize GaN’s superior efficiency, power density, and thermal performance
- Comprehensive insights into GaN ICs and their role in simplifying complex designs and improving system reliability
- A dedicated section on the latest advancements in GaN reliability and manufacturability
- Real-world application examples, case studies, and practical design tips for engineers.
“Since its inception, this textbook has guided engineers and innovators adopting GaN,” said Dr. Alex Lidow, CEO and co-author. “The 4th edition deepens understanding of GaN’s capabilities and empowers readers to unlock its full potential.”
This edition underscores EPC’s commitment to educating the power electronics community and supporting the adoption of GaN as the go-to technology for efficient power conversion. The textbook is available for purchase through Wiley.
Availability and Additional Resources
The 4th edition of GaN Power Devices for Efficient Power Conversion is available now. For additional resources, including evaluation boards, design support tools, and application notes, visit epc-co.com.
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
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Navitas Semiconductor announced its adoption of both technologies into Dell’s family of notebook adapters, from 60 W to 360 W.
Enabled by over 20 years of SiC technology leadership, GeneSiC leads on performance of SiC MOSFETs with patented ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology and 5th-gen GeneSiC silicon carbide (SiC) diodes to deliver high-speed, high-efficiency performance with proprietary ’low-knee’ technology for cool operation.
Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs enable high-frequency, high-efficiency power conversion, achieving 3x more power and 3x faster charging in half the size and weight compared to prior designs with legacy silicon power devices.
Navitas GaN & SiC technology together enables Dell to provide high-speed charging, with highest efficiency, coolest temperature, smallest size, and lowest material count. Dell’s latest line-up of AI notebooks includes Neural Processor Units (NPUs), which are dedicated AI engines, to manage sustained AI and AI offload. This builds on Dell’s portfolio as the broadest GaN adapter offering for notebooks in the industry.
The new adapters will also help Dell achieve its advanced sustainability goals, with a focus on CO2 reduction and energy reduction. The adapter cases require up to 50% less plastic and are made with post-recycled materials, significantly reducing energy waste, and improving resource utilization. Navitas’ GaNFast and GeneSiC technologies increase the level of system integration and switching frequency, which reduces the number of components, as well as the size, resulting in a ‘dematerialization’ that lowers carbon footprint throughout the production, packaging, and logistics processes. Each GaNFast power IC shipped saves 4 kg CO2 and every SiC MOSFET shipped saves 25 kg CO2 vs. legacy silicon power chips.
“Since Dell’s first GaN adapter was enabled by Navitas back in 2020, we’ve worked closely with Dell engineering to further improve charging speed, efficiency, size, weight, and now environmental footprint”, said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas. “Dell’s new adapters are an optimal solution for speed, portability, and sustainability. Our clients achieve a win-win for both the market and environment by deploying Navitas GaNFast power ICs and GeneSiC power devices.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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As the world continues to face the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, Infineon Technologies AG is at the forefront of innovation, harnessing the power of all relevant semiconductor materials including silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) to drive meaningful progress towards decarbonization and digitalization.
In its 2025 predictions – GaN power semiconductors, Infineon highlights that gallium nitride will be a game-changing semiconductor material revolutionizing the way we approach energy efficiency and decarbonization across consumer, mobility, residential solar, telecommunication, and AI data center industries. GaN provides significant benefits in end customers’ applications enabling efficient performance, smaller size, lighter weight, and lower overall cost. While USB-C chargers and adapters have been the forerunners, GaN is now on its way to reaching tipping points in its adoption in further industries, substantially driving the market for GaN-based power semiconductors.
”Infineon is committed to driving decarbonization and digitalization through innovation based on all semiconductor materials Si, SiC, and GaN,” said Johannes Schoiswohl, Head of the GaN Business Line at Infineon. “The relevance of comprehensive power systems will increase with GaN manifesting its role due to its benefits in efficiency, density, and size. Given that cost-parity with silicon is in sight, we will see an increased adoption rate for GaN this year and beyond.
Powering AI will be highly depending on GaN. The rapid increase of required computing power and energy demand in AI data centers will drive the need for advanced solutions capable of handling the substantial loads associated with AI servers. Power supplies that once managed 3.3 kW are now evolving towards 5.5 kW, with projections moving towards 12 kW or more per unit. By leveraging GaN, AI data centers can improve power density, which directly influences the amount of computational power that can be delivered within a given rack space. While GaN presents clear advantages, hybrid approaches combining GaN with Si and SiC are ideal for meeting the requirements of AI data centers and achieving the best trade-offs between efficiency, power density and system cost.
In the home appliance market, Infineon expects GaN to gain significant traction, driven by the need for higher energy efficiency ratings in applications like washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and water/heat pumps. In 800 W applications, for example, GaN can enable a two percent efficiency gain, which can help manufacturers achieve the coveted A ratings. According to Infineon, GaN-based on-board chargers and DC-DC converters in electric vehicles will contribute to a higher charging efficiency, power density, and material sustainability, with a shift towards 20 kW+ systems. Together with high-end SiC solutions, GaN will also enable more efficient traction inverters for both 400 V and 800 V EV systems, contributing to an increased driving range.
In 2025 and beyond, robotics will see widespread adoption of GaN supported by the material’s ability to enhance compactness, driving growth in delivery drones, care robots and humanoid robots. As robotics technology integrates AI advancements like natural language processing and computer vision, GaN will provide the efficiency required for compact, high-performance designs. Integrating inverters within the motor chassis eliminates the inverter heatsink while reducing cabling to each joint/axis and simplifying EMC design.
Infineon is further pushing investment in GaN research and development to overcome the challenges of cost and scalability. With the broadest product and IP portfolio, the highest quality standards, leading-edge innovations such as 300 mm GaN wafer manufacturing and bidirectional switch (BDS) transistors, the company is bolstering its leading role in driving decarbonization and digitalization based on all relevant semiconductor materials including gallium nitride.
Download the “2025 GaN predictions” ebook here.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) announced the launch of the EPC91104, a high-performance 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter reference design. This innovative design is ideal for powering compact, precision motors in humanoid robots, such as those used for wrist, finger, and toe movements.
The EPC91104 evaluation board uses the EPC23104 ePower™ Stage IC, offering a maximum RDS(on) of 11 mΩ and supporting DC bus voltages up to 80 V. The design supports up to 14 Apk steady-state and 20 Apk pulsed current, ensuring reliable performance for humanoid robot applications that require fine motor control and precision.
Key Features of the EPC91104
- Wide Voltage Range: Operates between 14 V and 80 V, accommodating a variety of battery systems
- Compact Design: Suitable for space-constrained robotics
- Advanced Protection: Includes overcurrent and input undervoltage protection, ensuring reliability in demanding applications
- Optimized Efficiency: Low-distortion switching reduces torque ripple and motor noise
Humanoid robots demand motors with precision and compactness, and the EPC91104 is specifically designed to meet those needs for applications like small joint actuation,
said Alex Lidow, CEO of EPCFor higher-current requirements, such as elbow and knee motors in humanoid robots, EPC offers the EPC9176 board in the same family. With enhanced current capacity, the EPC9176 complements the EPC91104 to cover a full range of motor drive applications in humanoid robotics.
The EPC91104 is compatible with controller boards from leading manufacturers, including Microchip, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, and Renesas, offering engineers flexibility in development. It is equipped with comprehensive sensing and protection features, ensuring rapid prototyping and testing.
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
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Toyoda Gosei’s technology to enhance GaN substrates has been verified to improve power device performance. An article confirming it was published in Physica Status Solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, an international scientific journal for solid state physics.
Better power devices are indispensable for CO2 reduction in society, as they regulate electric power everywhere. Switching material from silicon to gallium nitride enables 90% energy-saving, superior devices, for which mass production of larger quality GaN substrates is requisite.
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment is leading a project for broad application of GaN power devices, for which Toyoda Gosei is providing technology to obtain ideal GaN crystals. One outcome of the project is a demonstrable improvement in power device performance with a GaN substrate fabricated on a GaN seed crystal that Toyoda Gosei jointly developed with Osaka University. Compared to power devices made on commercially-available substrates, power devices using these GaN substrates show higher performance in both power regulation capacity and yield ratio.
Toyoda Gosei will continue collaborating with government, universities, and other corporations for earlier dissemination of large quality GaN substrates.
Original – Toyoda Gosei
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Aehr Test Systems has received an initial production order from a top tier automotive semiconductor supplier for a FOX-XP™ wafer level test and burn-in system with fully integrated FOX WaferPak™ Aligner for production test of their gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices. The FOX-XP system with integrated WaferPak Aligner is scheduled to ship immediately.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented, “We have been working closely with this customer for over a year to support their evaluation and qualification process for delivering GaN power semiconductor devices to their customers. We are thrilled to receive this initial production purchase order, signaling their commitment to move forward with volume production wafer level burn-in of their GaN devices on our FOX-XP platform.
“This customer has extensively utilized a FOX-NP system under an evaluation agreement for production qualification and reliability testing of their devices over the past year. As part of the evaluation, they purchased a significant number of our proprietary WaferPak full wafer Contactors to successfully qualify a wide range of GaN device types designed for multiple end use applications including industrial, solar, data center, and automotive markets.
“Our FOX-P platform allows customers using the FOX-NP for device qualification and reliability testing of power semiconductors like GaN and silicon carbide (SiC) to transition seamlessly to the FOX-XP multi-wafer fully automated system, which is capable of testing up to nine wafers in parallel and is specifically designed to handle high-voltage testing and high temperature Gate and Drain stress test requirements. By leveraging our FOX-XP system and our proprietary WaferPak full wafer Contactors, customers can easily test wafers of varying sizes from 6 to 12 inches by simply purchasing new WaferPaks, while utilizing the same FOX-XP system and FOX WaferPak Aligner.
“Like SiC, GaN semiconductor MOSFETs are wide bandgap devices that offer significantly higher power conversion efficiency than silicon. GaN is particularly well suited for lower power applications such as sub-1000-watt power converters (fast chargers) used in consumer electronics like cell phones, tablets, and laptops. Additionally, it is increasingly being adopted for automotive power converters, supporting electrical systems in both electric and traditional gasoline-powered cars, as well as being targeted at data center power applications where power efficiency and delivery are critical to support the massive amount of computing power and data storage being installed over the next decade. Along with the increased usage in automotive and data centers, many industry experts and analysts predict that GaN MOSFETs will eventually replace silicon as the preferred technology for power conversion in photovoltaic (solar panel) applications.
“We view GaN as a transformative and rapidly growing technology in the power semiconductor market. With an anticipated compound annual growth rate of more than 40%, the GaN market is projected to reach $2.5 billion in annual device sales by 2029 according to Yole Group’s Power SiC/GaN Compound Semiconductor Market Monitor. In addition, Frost & Sullivan estimates GaN semiconductors will account for over 10% of the worldwide power semiconductor industry by the year 2028. This represents a significant growth opportunity for Aehr’s wafer level test and burn-in solutions.”
The FOX-XP and FOX-NP systems, available with multiple WaferPak Contactors (full wafer test) or multiple DiePakTM Carriers (singulated die/module test) configurations, are capable of functional test and burn-in/cycling of devices such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductors, artificial intelligence processors, silicon photonics as well as other optical devices, 2D and 3D sensors, flash memories, magnetic sensors, microcontrollers, and other leading-edge ICs in either wafer form factor, before they are assembled into single or multi-die stacked packages, or in singulated die or module form factor.
Original – Aehr Test Systems
