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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?
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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.
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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 13th, 2018 in Beijing, China during 21iC Power Conference 2018.
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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 RDS(on) of 25 mΩ and a 37 A pulsed output current for high efficiency power conversion in a tiny 1.1mm2 footprint.
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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.
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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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LIDAR is presently a subject of great interest, primarily due to its widespread adoption in autonomous navigation systems for vehicles, robots, drones, and other mobile machines. eGaN devices are one of the main factors in making affordable, high performance LIDAR possible in a small form factor thus further fueling the LIDAR revolution.
EDN
By John Glaser
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In recent years, GaN-based power conversion has increased in popularity due to the inherent benefits of eGaN FETs over conventional Si transistors. Migrating a converter design from Si to GaN offers many system-level improvements, which require consideration of all the components in that system. This trend has subsequently spurred a growth in the ecosystem of power electronics that support GaN-based designs.
Power Systems Designs
By Edward A. Jones, Michael de Rooij, and David Reusch
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As GaN-on-Si becomes more common in DC-DC converter designs, questions often arise from experienced designers about the impact of the unique characteristics of GaN transistors when used as synchronous rectifiers (SRs). In particular, the third quadrant off-state characteristics, better known as “body diode” conduction in Si MOSFETs, which is activated during converter dead-time, is of interest. For this article, the focus will be on the similarities and differences of Si MOSFETs and eGaN® FETs when operated as a “body diode” and outline their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Bodo’s Power Systems
By David Reusch & John Glaser
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Superior characteristics of eGaN® FETs and integrated circuits, such as low output capacitance, low input capacitance, low parasitic inductances, and small size make them ideal for increasing efficiency in highly resonant, AirFuel™ wireless power transfer systems.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— May 2018 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) today announces the availability of a complete class 4 wireless power kit, the EPC9129. The system can transmit up to 33 W while operating at 6.78 MHz (the lowest ISM band). The kit comes complete with two receivers, each with a regulated output − one capable of 5 W capable and a second capable of delivering 27 W at 19 V.
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Spirit Electronics now provides distribution support to assist customers in adopting eGaN® FETs and ICs for leading-edge power conversion systems in the defense and aerospace market.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— May 2018 — To support its accelerating growth in the defense and aerospace markets, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) is proud to announce the appointment of Spirit Electronics as a distribution partner focusing on these key market segments. Spirit Electronics, in operation since 1979 and located in Phoenix, Arizona and Irvine, California, supplies products and services to the Department of Defense, aerospace, and telecommunication industries.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) will exhibit live demonstrations at PCIM Europe 2018 showing how GaN technology’s superior performance is transforming power delivery for entire industries including computing, communications, and automotive.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — May 2018 — The EPC team will be delivering five technical presentations on gallium nitride (GaN) technology and applications at PCIM Europe 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany from June 5th through the 7th. In addition, in Hall 7, Stand 539, the company will exhibit its latest eGaN® FETs and ICs in customers’ end products that are enabled by eGaN technology.
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The increase in switching speed offered by GaN transistors requires good measurement technology, as well as good techniques to capture important details of high-speed waveforms. This article focuses on how to leverage the measurement equipment for the user’s requirement and measurement techniques to accurately evaluate high performance GaN transistors. The article also evaluates high bandwidth differential probes for use with non-ground-referenced waveforms.
EDN Network
By Suvankar Biswas , David Reusch & Michael de Rooij
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EPC continues its 2018 GaN China Roadshow with participation in the upcoming WiPDA 2018 conference in Xian May 17th through 18th
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— May 2018 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) started a GaN China Roadshow 2018 beginning in Shenzhen in March with technical presentations at the AirFuel Developers Forum. The second event in the roadshow was participation in SEMI China’s Power and Compound Semiconductor International Forum held in Shanghai, where Alex Lidow, CEO gave a keynote speech. Soon, from May 17 to 19, EPC will be meeting with engineers to share knowledge and demonstrations of eGaN® devices, at WiPDA Asia IEEE workshop to be held at the Cullinan Huicheng Hotel in Xi’an. Beyond WiPDA, the next stop for the EPC roadshow will be PCIM Asia, to be held in Shanghai, June 26th through 28th. At this conference, EPC experts will be giving technical presentations on the use of GaN devices in wireless power transfer and LiDAR for autonomous cars.
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