News

Sign up today to get the latest news and updates from EPC on new product announcements, applications work, and much more. Sign up for EPC email updates.

Forecasting System Reliability in Real-World Mission Profiles in EPC’s Phase 16 Report on GaN Reliability

Forecasting System Reliability in Real-World Mission Profiles in EPC’s Phase 16 Report on GaN Reliability

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) publishes Phase-16 Reliability Report adding new findings to the extensive knowledge base on GaN reliability and mission robustness.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2024 — EPC announces the publication of its Phase-16 Reliability Report, documenting continued work using test-to-fail methodology and adding specific guidelines for overvoltage specifications and improving thermo-mechanical reliability.

Read more

Experts Weigh in on GaN & SiC at APEC 2024

Experts Weigh in on GaN & SiC at APEC 2024

In this video from Power Electronics News, a lineup of distinguished speakers from semiconductor companies shares insights into groundbreaking developments in gallium nitride– and silicon carbide–based power devices.

The GaN speakers address two critical questions shaping the future of wide bandgap:

  1. The significance of substrate material choice for GaN-based power devices. They elaborate on how this choice impacts device performance, reliability and manufacturability and discuss how researchers are tackling substrate-related challenges.
  2. Specific market segments where GaN devices are outperforming traditional silicon-based solutions, driving adoption and revealing the technology direction of their respective companies. The speakers include:
    • Robert Taylor, applications engineer/general manager industrial applications at Texas Instruments
    • Michael de Rooij, VP of applications engineering at EPC
    • Balu Balakrishnan, CEO of Power Integrations

View Video

Read more

Predicting GaN Device Lifetimes In Solar Microinverters And Power Optimizers

Predicting GaN Device Lifetimes In Solar Microinverters And Power Optimizers

Microinverters and power optimizers are widely utilized in modern solar panels to maximize energy efficiency and conversion. Such topologies and implementations usually require a minimum of 25 years of lifetime, which is becoming a critical challenge for market adoption. Low-voltage gallium nitride (GaN) power devices (VDS rating < 200 V) are a promising solution and are being used extensively by an increasing number of solar manufacturers.

In this article, a test-to-fail approach is adopted and applied to investigate the intrinsic underlying wear-out mechanisms of GaN transistors. The study enables the development of physics-based lifetime models that can accurately project the lifetimes under the unique demands of various mission profiles in solar applications.

How2Power
August, 2023
Read article

Read more

In-situ RDS(on) Characterization and Lifetime Projection of GaN HEMTs under Repetitive Overvoltage Switching

In-situ RDS(on) Characterization and Lifetime Projection of GaN HEMTs under Repetitive Overvoltage Switching

Transient voltage overshoot is a common phenomenon in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) under high slew rate switching conditions. The dynamic parametric instability under such stress is a critical concern for GaN applications. This work, for the first time, accurately characterized the evolution of dynamic on-resistance (RDS(on)) in GaN HEMTs under repetitive voltage overshoot up to billions of switching cycles. The dynamic RDS(on) increase was found to be the dominant device degradation under overvoltage switching. Such findings were obtained from a high-frequency, repetitive, unclamped inductive switching (UIS) test with active temperature control and accurate in-situ RDS(on) monitoring. A physics-based model was proposed to correlate the dynamic RDS(on) drift with the peak overvoltage, and a good agreement with experimental data was achieved. This model was further used to project the lifetime of GaN HEMTs. For 100 V rated GaN HEMTs switched under 100 kHz and 120 V spikes, the model projects less than 10% dynamic RDS(on) shift over 25 years of continuous operation. This work addresses the major concerns of overvoltage switching reliability of GaN HEMTs and provides new insights of the electron trapping mechanism.

IEEE Xplore
Ruizhe Zhang, Ricardo Garcia, Robert Strittmatter, Yuhao zhang, Shengke Zhange
Read article (IEEE subscription required)

Read more

Podcast: EPC’s Progress in GaN Reliability in RadHard and New Space Applications

Podcast: EPC’s Progress in GaN Reliability in RadHard and New Space Applications

In this episode of Spirit: Behind the Screen, Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy chats with EPC’s CEO Alex Lidow and Marketing Director Renee Yawger about the progress of GaN. They discuss GaN’s performance under high radiation as well as the extensive testing, failure modes and device lifespan detailed in EPC’s Phase 15 reliability report. With the full potential of GaN still to be explored and new EPC products releasing frequently, including new half-bridge drivers, low-side drivers and full power stage, GaN is especially useful in New Space and commercial space applications.

Spirit: Behind the Screen
Listen to podcast

Read more

Test-to-Fail Methodology for Accurate Reliability and Lifetime Evaluation of eGaN Devices in Solar Applications

Test-to-Fail Methodology for Accurate Reliability and Lifetime Evaluation of eGaN Devices in Solar Applications

Modern solar panels are demanding increasingly higher power density and longer operating lifetimes. Solar applications including power optimizers and panels with built-in microinverters are becoming the prevailing trend for an increasing number of solar customers, where low voltage GaN power devices (VDS < 200 V) are extensively used.

Bodo’s Power Systems
May, 2023
Read article

Read more

GaN Transistors Bring Newest Rad Hard Technology to Demanding Space Applications

GaN Transistors Bring Newest Rad Hard Technology to Demanding Space Applications

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions with two new devices rated at 100 V and 200 V to address a multitude of critical spaceborne and other high-reliability .

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— April 2023 — EPC announces the introduction of two new radiation-hardened GaN FETs. The EPC7020 is a 200 V, 11 mΩ, 170 APulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a small 12 mm2 footprint. The EPC7003 is a 100 V, 30 mΩ, 42 APulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a tiny 1.87 mm2 footprint.  Both devices have a total dose radiation rating greater than 1,000K Rad(Si) and SEE immunity for LET of 83.7 MeV/mg/cm2 with VDS up to 100% of rated breakdown. These new devices, along with the rest of the Rad Hard family, EPC7019, EPC7014, EPC7004, EPC7018, EPC7007, are offered in a chip-scale package, the same as the commercial eGaN® FET and IC family.  Packaged versions will be available from EPC Space.

Read more

Projected GaN Device Lifetime in Real World Applications Presented in EPC’s Phase 15 Report on GaN Reliability

Projected GaN Device Lifetime in Real World Applications Presented in EPC’s Phase 15 Report on GaN Reliability

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) publishes Phase-15 Reliability Report adding to the extensive knowledge base on GaN reliability and mission robustness.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2023 — EPC announces the publication of its Phase-15 Reliability Report, documenting continued work using test-to-fail methodology and adding specific reliability metrics and predictions for real world applications including solar optimizers, lidar sensors, and DC-DC converters.

Read more

Rad Hard GaN Transistors Offering Highest Density and Efficiency on the Market for Demanding Space Applications Available from EPC

Rad Hard GaN Transistors Offering Highest Density and Efficiency on the Market for Demanding Space Applications Available from EPC

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions in critical spaceborne and other high-reliability environments with the addition of a fifth rad hard device to the product family.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June 2022 — EPC announces the introduction of the EPC7004 radiation-hardened GaN FET. The EPC7004 is a 100 V, 7 mΩ, 160 APulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a small 6.56 mm2 footprint. The EPC7004 has a total dose radiation rating greater than 1 Mrad and SEE immunity for LET of 85 MeV/(mg/cm2). The EPC7004, along with the rest of the Rad Hard family, EPC7014, EPC7007, EPC7019, EPC7018, are offered in a chip-scale package, the same as the commercial eGaN® FET and IC family.  Packaged versions will be available from EPC Space.

Read more

Better thermal management of eGaN FETs

Better thermal management of eGaN FETs

A few simple thermal management guidelines can help conduct heat away from GaN FETs. Enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) FETs offer high power-density with ultra-fast switching and low on-resistance, all in a compact form factor. However, the power levels these high-performance devices provide can be limited by extreme heat-flux densities. If not managed properly, the generated heat can compromise reliability and performance. Fortunately, chip-scale packaging for eGaN FETs can be leveraged at the board-side and the backside (i.e., case) to better dissipate heat.

Power Electronics Tips
February, 2022
Read article

Read more

EPC Releases Phase 14 Report on GaN Reliability and the use of Physics-Based Models to Project eGaN Device Lifetime

EPC Releases Phase 14 Report on GaN Reliability and the use of Physics-Based Models to Project eGaN Device Lifetime

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) publishes Phase-14 Reliability Report, which adds to the extensive knowledge and demonstrates a robustness capability unmatched by silicon power devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— February 2022 — EPC announces its Phase-14 Reliability Report, documenting the strategy used to achieve a remarkable field reliability record. The rapid adoption of GaN devices in many diverse applications calls for the continued accumulation of reliability statistics and research into the fundamental physics of failure in GaN devices. The Phase-14 Reliability Report presents the strategy used to measure and predict lifetime based upon tests that force devices to fail under various conditions. This information can be used to create more robust and and higher performance products for applications such as lidar for autonomous cars, robotics, security, and drones, high power density computing, and satellites, to name just a few.

Read more

Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Expert Talk - GaN Session - June 2021

Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Expert Talk - GaN Session - June 2021

A roundtable discussion with GaN industry experts hosted by Bodo’s Power Systems. Guests included:

  1. Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion
  2. Doug Bailey, Vice President Marketing & Applications Engineering at Power Integrations
  3. Dilder Chowdhury, Director, Strategic Marketing, Power GaN Technology at Nexperia
  4. Tom Ribarich, Sr. Director Strategic Marketing at Navitas Semiconductor
Read more

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Announces New Family of Radiation-Hardened Enhancement-Mode Gallium Nitride (eGaN) Transistors and Integrated Circuits for Demanding Space Applications

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Announces New Family of Radiation-Hardened Enhancement-Mode Gallium Nitride (eGaN) Transistors and Integrated Circuits for Demanding Space Applications

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) introduces a new family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions in critical spaceborne and other high reliability environments.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June 2021 — EPC announces the introduction of a new family of radiation-hardened gallium nitride transistors and integrated circuits. With higher breakdown strength, faster switching speed, higher thermal conductivity and lower on-resistance, power devices based on GaN significantly outperform silicon-based devices. The lower resistance and gate charge enable faster power supply switching frequencies resulting in higher power densities, higher efficiencies, and more compact and lighter weight circuitry for critical spaceborne missions. Gallium nitride is also inherently radiation tolerant, making GaN-based devices a reliable, higher performing power transistor option for space applications.

Read more

Minimizing Thermo-mechanical Stress in Chipscale eGaN Devices

Minimizing Thermo-mechanical Stress in Chipscale eGaN Devices

Enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) FETs have demonstrated excellent thermomechanical reliability in actual operation in the field or when tested according to AEC or JEDEC standards. This is because of the inherent simplicity of the “package,” the lack of wire bonds, dissimilar materials, or mold compound. Recently, an extensive study of underfill products was conducted to experimentally generate lifetime predictions. A finite element analysis at the end of this section explains the experimental results and generates guidelines for selection of underfill based on key material properties.

Bodo's Power
March, 2021
Read article

Read more

GaN Is Revolutionizing Motor Drive Applications

GaN Is Revolutionizing Motor Drive Applications

In last month’s Safety & Compliance column in How2Power, “WBG Semiconductors Pose Safety And EMI Challenges In Motor Drive Applications,”[1]Kevin Parmenter made some assertions about the difficulties of using SiC, and to a lesser extent GaN, power semiconductors in large motor-drive applications. This commentary is a response to that article, showing that GaN can be a game changer in low-voltage integrated motors.

How2Power
February, 2021
Read article

Read more

Podcast - Spirit Behind the Screen: EPC's Alex Lidow and GaN Reliability

Podcast - Spirit Behind the Screen: EPC's Alex Lidow and GaN Reliability

In this episode, Alex Lidow and Marti McCurdy discusses EPC’s test-to-failure method in improving gallium nitride (GaN) devices. According to Alex, testing to failure has allowed EPC to tease out the exact stressors that cause failure and improve EPC’s GaN devices 10-100 times the reliability of commercial devices, and even 100 times reliability in space applications.

Alex and Marti discuss:

(1:30) Why test to fail
(4:14) Learning from failure data and stressors
(11:38) Safe Operating Area
(14:30) Mechanical stressors
(17:45) EPC Space

Listen now

Read more

EPC Releases Physics-Based Models That Project eGaN Device Lifetime in New Reliability Report

EPC Releases Physics-Based Models That Project eGaN Device Lifetime in New Reliability Report

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) publishes Phase-12 Reliability Report adding to the extensive knowledge found in their first eleven reports. With this report, EPC demonstrates field experience of 226 billion eGaN ® device hours and a robustness capability unmatched by silicon power devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January 2021 — EPC announces its Phase-12 Reliability Report, documenting the strategy used to achieve a remarkable field reliability record. eGaN devices have been in volume production for more than eleven years and have demonstrated very high reliability in over 226 billion hours of operation, most of which are in vehicles, LTE base stations, and satellites, to name just a few applications with rigorous operating conditions.

Read more

Intrinsic Failure Mechanisms in GaN-on-Si Power Transistors

Intrinsic Failure Mechanisms in GaN-on-Si Power Transistors

Standard qualification testing for semiconductors typically involves stressing devices at-or-near the limits specified in their data sheets for a prolonged period of time, or for a certain number of cycles. The goal of qualification testing is to have zero failures out of a large group of parts tested. By testing parts to the point of failure, an understanding of the amount of margin between the data sheet limits can be developed, but more importantly, an understanding of the intrinsic failure mechanisms of the semiconductor can be found.

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine
December, 2020
Read article

Read more
RSS
123