Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands AEC Q101 product family with the addition of two new gallium nitride devices.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January 2019 — EPC announces successful AEC Q101 qualification of two additional eGaN devices, addressing a range of applications in the automotive industry and other harsh environments.  The new products, EPC2206, and EPC2212 are both discrete transistors in wafer level chip-scale packaging (WLCS) with 80 V_DS and 100 V_DS ratings respectively.

In this series, how the superior switching speed of gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications is being discussed. These applications are transforming industries such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) for autonomous vehicles, envelope tracking for 5G communications and large surface area wireless power for the home and office. In this article, how GaN power devices are transforming medicine by bringing precision control to surgical robots is examined.

Power Systems Design
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Within the EPC hospitality suite, wirelessly powered systems for the home and GaN based, industry-leading LiDAR systems used in autonomous vehicles will be on display.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — December 2018 — Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) will be demonstrating the power of eGaN^® technology to enhance two game-changing consumer applications – wireless power and LiDAR for self-driving cars – at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8^th through the 11^th.

In the first article in this series, how gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), envelope tracking, and wireless power was discussed. In this article, more detail on one of these leading applications, LiDAR, will be explored. How GaN is being used to make LiDAR systems that see farther, with higher resolution, and at lower cost will be shown.

Power Systems Design
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As part of its expansion to support a widening customer base for DC-DC, LiDAR, wireless power applications and beyond, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation has expanded its Asia-based team with new members who are in close proximity to customers in 21 regions throughout Asia Pacific.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — November 28, 2018 — To support its accelerating sales growth in Asia, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) is proud to announce the expansion of the sales and FAE team in Asia Pacific to support its expanding customer base, maximize new business acquisition and capture new market opportunities.

Last week, Anker debuted a tiny new power brick, crediting its small size with the component it uses instead of silicon: gallium nitride (GaN). It’s the latest example of the growing popularity of this transparent, glass-like material that could one day unseat silicon and cut energy use worldwide.

The Verge
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With the power architecture transition from a 12 V to a 48 V bus power distribution in modern data centers, there is an increased demand to improve 48 V power conversion efficiency and power density. In this context, DC-DC converters designed using eGaN^® FETs and ICs provide a high efficiency and high power density solution. Additionally, with the advent of 48 V power systems in mild-hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, GaN transistors can provide a reduction in size, weight, and Bill of Materials (BOM) cost.

Power Systems Design
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With the emergence of the 48V bus architecture, a new hybrid converter using gallium nitride (GaN) transistors can be employed which achieves a peak efficiency that exceeds 95% and with 225W/in³ power density. Of great interest for data center applications, where light load efficiency is critical for energy savings, the converter efficiency is kept higher than 90% down to a 20% load.

PowerPulse
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Workshop on Wireless Power Transfer event features industry leaders from AirFuel Alliance, Efficient Power Conversion Corp, jjPLUS and IHS Market

Taipei, Taiwan – October 30, 2018 – There is increasing demand for medium and high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) for new applications such as 5G, notebooks, robots, machine tools and medical equipment. What will be the next killer application for wireless power?

In this episode of the PSDcast, we’re talking to Alex Lidow from Efficient Power Conversion about gallium nitride’s (GaN) application in connected automobiles.

Power Systems Design
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Gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors designed for efficient power conversion have been in production for seven years. New markets, such as light detection and ranging, envelope tracking, and wireless charging, have emerged due to the superior switching speed of GaN. These markets have enabled GaN products to achieve significant volumes, low production costs, and an enviable reliability reputation. All of this provides adequate incentive for the more conservative design engineers in applications such as dc-dc converters, ac-dc converters, and automotive to start their evaluation process. So what are the remaining barriers to the conversion of the US$12 billion silicon power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) market? In a word: confidence. Design engineers, manufacturing engineers, purchasing managers, and senior management all need to be confident that GaN will provide benefits that more than offset the risk of adopting a new technology. Let's look at three key risk factors: supply chain risk, cost risk, and reliability risk.

IEEE Spectrum
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With the rise of autonomous cars and electric propulsion as driving forces in automotive applications, a huge new market for power devices based on gallium nitride grown on a silicon substrate (GaN-on-Si) is emerging.

Design World
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Gallium nitride(GaN)-on-silicon low voltage power devices have enabled many new applications since commercial availability began in 2010. New markets, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), envelope tracking, and wireless power, emerged due to the superior switching speed of GaN. These new applications have helped develop a strong supply chain, low production costs, and an enviable reliability record. All of this provides adequate incentive for the more conservative design engineers in applications, such as dc–dc converters, ac–dc converters, and automotive to start their evaluation process. In this series, a few of the many, high volume applications taking advantage of GaN to achieve new levels of end-product differentiation will be discussed. First, it is useful to explore the factors attributing to the rapid acceleration of the adoption rate.

Power Systems Design
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Based on the authors' years of extensive experience, this is an authoritative overview of Wide Bandgap (WBG) device characterization.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – September 2018 – Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (www.epc-co.com) announces the publication by the Institution of Engineering and Technology of Characterization of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Devices co-authored by EPC Senior Applications Engineer, Dr. Edward A. Jones. This textbook provides essential tools to assist researchers, advanced students, and practicing engineers in performing both static and dynamic characterization of WBG devices, particularly those based on using silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors. The book presents practical considerations for real applications and includes examples of applying the described methodology.

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has successfully completed automotive AEC Q101 qualification for EPC2202 and EPC2203 gallium nitride devices, opening a range of applications in automotive and other harsh environments.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif — September 13th, 2018 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation’s AEC Q101-qualified EPC2202 and EPC2203 have been honored with an Electronic Products China / 21iC Media’s “Top 10 Power Products – Technology Breakthrough Award.” The award presentation was announced on September 13^th, 2018 in Beijing, China during 21iC Power Conference 2018.

The EPC2051 offers power systems designers a 100 V, 25 mΩ, power transistor capable of 37 A pulsed in an extremely small chip-scale package.  These new devices are ideal for applications such as 48V power converters, LiDAR, and LED lighting.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — July 2018 — Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) announces the EPC2051, a 100 V GaN transistor with a maximum R_DS(on) of 25 mΩ and a 37 A pulsed output current for high efficiency power conversion in a tiny 1.1mm² footprint.

Spirit's Marti McCurdy and EPC's CEO Alex Lidow discuss the performance and cost benefits of gallium nitride over silicon and how leading companies the world over work with EPC to develop their next gen technologies with the power of GaN.

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The reason eGaN FETs (and now ICs) are used in all the LiDAR systems for autonomous cars, and now autonomous race cars, is that they enable much higher resolution (due to extremely short laser pulses), faster image speed (due to short laser pulses), and the ability to see greater distances with high accuracy (due to fast laser pulses at very high current).

Planet Analog
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — June 22, 2018 -- Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN^®) power FETs and ICs, will meet with design engineers in power management in Shanghai, China, for knowledge exchanges on solutions using a synchronous FET Class E rectifier for over 30 W highly-resonant wireless power receivers, and a kilowatt laser driver with 120 A, sub-10 nanosecond pulses in < 3 cm² using eGaN FET.

Meet EPC experts on power management at PCIM Asia Exhibition and Conference on June 26th, 2018 (Tuesday) at 10 a.m. – 10.50 a.m. at Exhibition Hall No. 2, 1/F of Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, 1099 Guozhan Road, Shanghai, China.

For LiDAR systems to meet ever-higher performance specs, they must perform fast switching of high-current pulses, which is where a gallium-nitride power switch can step in to help.

Electronic Design
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