EPC Technical Articles

Advancements in GaN Motor Drive Inverters Revolutionize UAV Drones for Agricultural Applications

Modern agricultural techniques have been revolutionized by the integration of unmanned aerial- vehicle (UAV) drones, which are low-voltage battery-operated aircrafts. Smaller drones are utilized for terrain mapping and vegetation monitoring, while heavier, more robust variants are employed for tasks such as spraying and distributing fertilizers and insecticides as well as disseminating seeds and feed with payloads up to 50 kg loads. GaN-based inverters prove to be suitable for UAV agricultural drones since they extend the battery life by improving motor efficiency, courtesy of the higher PWM frequency with sinusoidal excitation. In addition to the efficiency considerations, the higher PWM frequency contributes to a reduction in the dimensions of the DC link, thereby reducing the size and weight of the inverter, which is vital in lightweight aircrafts.

Bodo’s Power Systems
December, 2023
Read article

Thermal Modeling for GaN CSP

Gallium nitride–based high-electron–mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been widely adopted in both consumer and industrial power conversion due to their many material and device advantages over legacy silicon-based converters. The improvements in power-conversion efficiency at much higher switching frequencies that are enabled by GaN can translate to lower system costs and improved power density. Heat dissipation analysis and thermal modeling become critically important as power densities increase. In this article, we will review a thermal calculator tool released by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC). EPC manufactures enhancement-mode GaN HEMTs and integrated power-conversion circuits like half-bridges that form the building blocks of many converters.

Power Electronics News
November 2023
Read article

GaN Technology from EPC Space Exhibits Extreme Robustness for Space Missions

Space exploration has always demanded cutting-edge technology, reliability, and resilience. The latest breakthrough in power electronics, gallium nitride (GaN) technology, has emerged as a game-changer for space-based systems offering superior radiation tolerance and unmatched electrical performance compared to traditional silicon MOSFETs. In this article, we delve into the reasons why GaN power devices are the ultimate choice for power conversion applications in space and how their resistance to radiation makes them an extremely robust solution for space missions.

Components in Electronics
October 2023
Read article

Using GaN FETs to Burst Through 5 kW/in3 in a 48 V to 12 V LLC Converter

LLC resonant converters have emerged as the preferred topology for an intermediate 48 V to 12 V conversion due to their high efficiency, high power density and good dynamic response. The outstanding performance resulting from the combination of this topology with GaN transistors has been demonstrated in the past. This article presents how the newest generation of GaN devices, such as those from EPC, continues to push the envelope even further.

Bodo’s Power Systems
November, 2023
Read article

GaN in Space: Unlocking Efficiency and Performance in Satellite Systems

The space industry is undergoing a transformative shift to “New Space,” driven by the increasing demand for ubiquitous connectivity and the emergence of innovative business models. One of the key elements of this transformation is the adoption of gallium nitride (GaN) technology in space applications. GaN holds immense potential due to its impressive radiation hardness, high system efficiency and lightweight characteristics.

In a discussion with EE Times Europe, Taha Ayari and Aymen Ghorbel, technology and market analysts at Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group, explained how New Space—the low Earth orbit (LEO) mission segment, with a typical satellite lifespan of three to five years and lower reliability requirements—has become a focal point for GaN adoption. As a result, power GaN devices are being adopted for various satellite systems, including DC/DC converters, point-of-load systems, motor drives and ion thrusters.

EE Times Europe
October 2023
Read article

The State of GaN Adoption

What are the factors impacting gallium nitride’s adoption across a wide range of power management applications? In this article, we will explore the feedback that EPC has received from customers we have visited over the last 13 years that the company has been in volume production.

Power Electronics News
October, 2023
Read article

GaN Transistors Simplify the Design of High Current Motor Drive Inverters

Battery-powered industrial vehicles such as forklifts, manual handlers, or warehouse automatic vehicles require high-current inverters to drive the electric motors. Gallium nitride technology helps to increase the power capability and simplify the inverter design in these applications.

Bodo’s Power Systems
October, 2023
Read article

EPC optimistic about GaN sector

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) is optimistic about GaN despite geopolitical challenges and the changing landscape in the compound semiconductor sector.

DIGITIMES
September, 2023
Read article

GaN power components will be cheaper than silicon ones, says EPC

Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor company Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) is taking a fresh stab at the power component landscape, challenging the longstanding silicon hegemony.

DIGITIMES
September, 2023
Read article

EPC Space Brings GaN to the Edge of the Atmosphere

Bringing GaN to the final frontier, EPC Space introduced two new radiation-hardened GaN transistors for high-current switching in space-based applications. As the number of commercial satellites continues to increase, designers require more options for space-ready power electronics with improved current handling.

All About Circuits
September, 2023
Read article

GaN HEMT Package Improves Paralleling Of Devices In Space Power Applications

As more processing power and more complex loads are placed on-orbit or into deep space missions, it is sometime necessary to parallel two or more power switches. However, conventional power device packages, such as the FSMD-A/B/C/D and their I/O pad provisioning make it difficult to accomplish paralleling these devices in a performance-conscious manner. When paralleled, the gate and source-sense pads on these packages either serve to block the most efficient/shortest interconnect from package-to-package for the drain and source connections or for the gate and source-sense pads. So in parallel configurations, there is always a compromise between optimized drain-source load-circuit performance and gate-source-sense drive-loop performance. This article introduces the FSMD-G discrete HEMT package and explains how the reconfiguration of its I/O pads overcomes these limitations when paralleling GaN HEMTs.

How2Power
September, 2023
Read article

EPC Aims High with 300V space-grade GaN power transistor

EPC Space has introduced radiation-hardened gallium nitride devices for space-borne power converters and other rugged environments.

Electronics Weekly
August, 2023
Read article

GaN Technology Revolutionizing Space Missions: Enhancing Efficiency, Reliability, and Sustainability

GaN devices offer a plethora of benefits that align well with the demands of the space industry, addressing challenges related to reliability, radiation survivability, and space heritage.

Power Electronics News
August, 2023
Read article

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

A high efficiency, 3 kW capable, 2-phase, 3-level Converter using paralleled eGaN FETs

As the revolution of renewable energy as well as transportation electrification progresses, the need for residential energy storage systems is increasing. A high efficiency DC-to-DC converter is usually required to exchange energy generated from renewable sources, such as solar panels, with a battery. The fast-switching speed and low RDS(on) of gallium nitride (GaN) FETs can help save energy by reducing power consumption inside the DC-to-DC converter. This article shows how to design a high efficiency 100 – 250 V to 40 - 60 V DC-to-DC converter.

Power Electronics Europe
May, 2023
Read article

The Evolution of Low Voltage Power Distribution in Automotive Electronics – From ICE to MHEV to BEV

Automotive electronics have gone through several eras of evolution in the past 30 years. From the pure internal combustion engines (ICE) that had mostly mechanical, or engine-driven systems, to the mild hybrid (MHEV) with the addition of electrical motivation, to the fully battery-electric car (BEV). In each of these three eras, the architecture, and even the basic semiconductor components for converting and distributing electrical power changed. This article discusses this evolution and makes some speculations about likely further evolutionary directions.

Power Systems Design
August, 2023
Read article

GaN-based Power Management Solution for AMD Space-Grade Versal Adaptive SoC

In this article, Renesas Electronics explains how using a discreet GaN based power supply in the ISLVERSALDEMO2Z reference design for the core offers several advantages for power management in space avionics systems.

Power Electronics News
July, 2023
Read article

Accurate Characterization of Low-Voltage, Small-Form–Factor GaN FETs

Lower-voltage GaN FETs are reducing size, minimizing cooling requirements and improving efficiency.

Lower-voltage GaN FETs (i.e., 100 V) are reducing size, minimizing cooling requirements and improving efficiency for many traditional Si-based power MOSFET applications. In this article, the challenges to repeatably and reliable characterization of the dynamic performance of these devices is discussed. Careful and thoughtful mechanical and electrical design of a customized GaN fixture and test board can overcome many of these challenges, enabling the confident use of these new WBG devices in your power-converter designs.

Power Electronics News
July, 2023
Read article

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)

Improving Performance While Reducing Size and Cost with Monolithic GaN Integration

Gallium Nitride (GaN) heterojunction field effect power transistors in the 15 V to 350 V range have shown to give significant advantages over silicon in efficiency, size, speed, and cost in applications such as power conversion, motor drive, and pulsed light for lidar. GaN integration provides numerous system benefits for many high frequency applications. GaN integration is just beginning, and the benefits are assured to increase over time.

Bodo’s Power Systems
June, 2023
Read article

RSS
1345678910Last