GaN Talk Blog

Gallium nitride (GaN) is entering a new phase of development. After establishing itself in applications such as lidar, satellite power, fast chargers, and AI power delivery, the technology is increasingly moving toward lower-voltage, higher-current applications where switching speed, low conduction losses and power density are critical.

For Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), this transition is particularly important. The company has built its GaN portfolio around enhancement-mode eGaN® technology and has consistently pushed GaN into applications where conventional silicon MOSFETs face limitations in switching performance, size and efficiency. The development of low-voltage devices below 100 V now opens additional opportunities in AI power delivery, robotics, motor drives and other high-current systems.

At PCIM, Mike Engelhardt, creator of LTspice and QSPICE, explains why traditional SPICE—originally built for IC design—struggles with accurately simulating power devices, especially GaN FETs. He reviews historical capacitance models (Meyer, Yang–Chatterjee), their limitations for VDMOS and GaN, and describes how QSPICE introduces a native GaN MOSFET model (level 2026) with accurate charge, output capacitance, and quasi-saturation behavior. Engelhardt details numerical improvements, proper handling of transcapacitances, and performance gains that make QSPICE a faster, more robust power electronics simulator.

At PCIM, Alex Lidow highlighted the latest evolution of GaN technology, emphasizing major improvements in on-resistance, capacitance, and voltage performance. He noted that seventh-generation GaN is approaching copper-like conductivity while continuing to outperform silicon MOSFETs across voltage levels. Lidow also showcased the EPC2370, featuring ultra-low on-resistance and significantly reduced capacitance. Looking ahead, EPC’s eighth-generation GaN will target low-voltage, high-frequency, and high-power-density applications, alongside monolithic motor-drive ICs for robotics and drones, with integrated protection and current sensing planned for 2027 and 2028.

When wide-bandgap semiconductors entered the market, the areas in which they operated were pretty well defined. SiC would challenge silicon at voltages above 600V, and GaN would compete with silicon in applications from around 100V to 600V.

Power Systems Design
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A motor drive inverter reference design featuring a wide input range from 30 V to 140 V is suitable for battery systems of 80 V, 110 V, and more. Examples of applications include industrial automation systems, agricultural machinery, and material handling equipment such as forklifts. This blog post discusses the design of an off-the-shelf reference design for these systems, with a focus on the PCB layout developed to optimize the performance of the GaN FETs used.

As global demand for photovoltaic (PV) systems grows, manufacturers face mounting pressure to reduce costs without compromising reliability. Innovative technologies are critical to achieving these objectives, especially for commercial and residential PV systems. These systems generally fall into two main configurations: micro-inverters and string inverters.

Learn about what key factors you should consider when selecting a GaN gate driver. Make the best choice for your power electronics design here.

The medical technology industry includes medical devices which simplify the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and chronic illnesses. According to Fortune Business Insights,  The global medical devices market is projected to grow from $495.46 billion in 2022 to $718.92 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 5.5%.

Learn how EPC’s new demo board, the EPC9176 with its six QFN-packaged GaN ICs allows for more efficient, high-performance vacuum cleaner motors.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a very hard, mechanically stable wide bandgap semiconductor that is used in the production of power devices as well as RF components and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). GaN switching frequency is substantially higher than silicon, enabling power electronics designers to create smaller, more efficient, and higher-performing systems that were previously challenging to achieve with silicon technologies.