Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors have made a big splash in the electronics industry, with their promises of better, faster, and more powerful systems using Silicon Carbide (SiC) and/or Gallium Nitride (GaN). In the last couple of years, this promise has manifested itself in real products that provide real advantages. The recent Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion (PCIM) exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, was a hotbed of new products based on these new materials.

While at PCIM we met up with Alex Lidow, CEO of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), and talked with him about the new energy (pun intended) in the market fomented by GaN-based devices. Alex pointed out the number of real solutions on display from companies across the show. One example given is the Texas Instruments' LMG5200 integrated power stage solution, an 80V, 10A driver plus GaN half-bridge power stage.