Navitas Ups the Ante For GaN Integration
May 17, 2023
Blog
Navitas Semiconductor, one of the leaders in gallium nitride (GaN) power ICs and silicon carbide (SiC) technology, recently launched a family of ICs that deliver unprecedented levels of performance and integration. Dubbed GaNSense Control, the devices feature high-frequency quasi-resonant (HFQR) flybacks supporting QR, DCM, CCM and multiple-frequency, hybrid-mode operations, with frequencies up to 225 kHz.
GaN can provide a significant upgrade over conventional high-voltage silicon power semiconductors, while also reducing the energy and physical space needed to deliver that performance. Navitas claims that it runs up to 20x faster and can enable up to three times more power handling or three times faster charging capability, in half the size and weight of competitive silicon solutions.
Each of these power systems also require an optimized, high-speed, low-voltage (LV) silicon system controller which Navitas has developed and integrated with its high-performance GaN ICs. It’s this combination that resulted in the company’s GaNSense control ICs.
Integrated features such as loss-less current sensing, HV start-up, frequency-hopping, low standby power, and wide VDD input voltage deliver small, efficient, cool-running systems with fewer components and no RSENSE hot-spot. Protection features include 800-V transient voltage, 2-kV ESD, over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature protection.
Initial applications include smartphone, tablet, and laptop chargers, consumer and home appliances, point-of-sale, and auxiliary supplies in high-power data center power and 400-V EV systems. The parts are housed in a surface-mount QFN package (NV695x-series) or as a chip-set (NV9510x + NV61xx).
Richard Nass’ key responsibilities include setting the direction for all aspects of OSM’s ECD portfolio, including digital, print, and live events. Previously, Nass was the Brand Director for Design News. Prior, he led the content team for UBM’s Medical Devices Group, and all custom properties and events. Nass has been in the engineering OEM industry for more than 30 years. In prior stints, he led the Content Team at EE Times, Embedded.com, and TechOnLine. Nass holds a BSEE degree from NJIT.
