Gallium nitride (GaN) transistors have been in mass production for over 10 years. In their first few years of availability, the fast switching speed of the new devices – up to 10 times faster than the venerable Si MOSFET – was the main reason for designers to use GaN FETs. As the pricing of GaN devices normalized with the MOSFET, coupled with the expansion of a broad range of devices with different voltage ratings and power handling capabilities, much wider acceptance was realized in mainstream applications such as DC-DC converters for computers, motor drives for robots, and e-mobility bikes and scooters. The experience gained from the early adopters has led the way for later entrants into the GaN world get into production faster. This article is the first in a series of articles discussing three topics that can help power systems designers achieve the most out of their GaN-based designs at the lowest cost. The three topics are: (1) layout considerations; (2) thermal design for maximum power handling; and, (3) EMI reduction techniques for lowest cost.

Bodo’s Power Systems
January, 2021
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EPC introduces the 40 V, 3 milliohm EPC2055 eGaN^® FET, offering designers a device that is smaller, more efficient, and more reliable than currently available devices for high performance, space-constrained applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — December 2020 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, advances the performance capability of low voltage, off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of the EPC2055 (3 mΩ, 40 V) eGaN FET. 

The EPC2152 ePower™ Stage enables higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density, low-cost DC-DC conversion demonstrated in the EPC9151 power module.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— December, 2020 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9151, a 300 W bidirectional DC-DC voltage regulator in the in the very small 16^th brick format which is just 33 mm x 22.9 mm (1.3 x 0.9 in). The EPC9151 power module features Microchip’s dsPIC33CK digital signal controller (DSC) with the EPC2152 ePower™ Stage integrated circuit from EPC to achieve greater than 95% efficiency in a 300 W 48 V to/from 12 V converter design.  Additional phases can be added to this scalable 2-phase design to further increase power.

These new generation 200 V eGaN^® FETs are ideal for 48 V_OUT synchronous rectification, class-D audio, solar microinverters and optimizers, and multilevel, high-voltage AC/DC converters

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— August, 2020 — EPC, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, advances the performance capability while lowering the cost of off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of the EPC2215 and EPC2207 200 V eGaN FETs.  The applications for these leading-edge devices include class D audio, synchronous rectification, solar MPPTs (maximum power point tracker), DC-DC converters (hard-switched and resonant), and multilevel high voltage converters.

The combination of Microchip Technology’s digital signal controllers with ultra-efficient eGaN^® FETs from EPC (Efficient Power Conversion) enable best-in-class power density of 730 W/in³ for high efficiency, low cost DC-DC Conversion.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— July, 2020 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9143, a 300 W DC-DC voltage regulator in 16^th brick size. The EPC9143 power module integrates Microchip’s dsPIC33CK digital signal controller (DSC) with the latest generation EPC2053 eGaN FETs from EPC to achieve 96% efficiency in a 48 V input to 12 V output conversion at 25 A.  The switching frequency of 500 kHz enables the 300 W in the very small 16^th brick format which is just 33 mm x 22.9 mm (1.3 x 0.9 in). Additional phases can be added to this scalable 2-phase design to further increase power. The flexibility of the Microchip digital controllers allows the input voltage to be adjusted from 8 V – 72 V and the output voltage from 3.3 V – 25 V.

Ultra-fast transition eGaN^® FETs from Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) on the EPC9144 drive high current pulses up to 28 A with pulse widths as low as 1.2 ns, enhancing the accuracy, precision, and processing speed of ToF and flash lidar systems.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January, 2020 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9144, a 15 V, 28 A high current pulsed laser diode driver demonstration board.

In support of a widening customer base in Europe, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation has expanded its technical leadership team to assist customers in the adoption of eGaN^® FETs and Integrated circuits for applications including DC-DC, Lidar, motor control, and beyond.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — October, 2019 — To support its accelerating design activity, and to provide local technical support to EPC’s customers in Europe, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) is proud to announce that Marco Palma, a seasoned expert, has joined the EPC technical leadership team as Senior FAE Manager for Europe. 

GaN transistors, with favorable figures of merit (FOM) for 48 V applications, can provide a reduction in size, weight, and bill of material costs. This article presents a five-phase, fully regulated, bidirectional 48 V to 12 V DC-DC converter. An advancedthermalmanagement solution suitable for use with eGaN FETs results in a system that can provide 3kW of power at an efficiency exceeding 97.5% into a 14.5 V battery.

Power Systems Design
July, 2019
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) will provide their industry-leading gallium nitride-based power devices in wafer form for ease of power systems integration.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June 2019 — EPC announces the availability of their industry-leading enhancement-mode gallium nitride (GaN) devices in wafer form for ease of integration.  EPC’s eGaN^® FETs and ICs are traditionally sold as singulated chip-scale devices with solder bars or solder bumps. 

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands AEC Q101 product family with the addition of the EPC2214, 80 V gallium nitride transistor optimized for high resolution lidar systems.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— April 2019 — EPC announces successful AEC Q101 qualification of the 80 V EPC2214 designed for lidar systems in the automotive industry and other harsh environments. 

EPC will exhibit live demonstrations showing how GaN technology’s superior performance is transforming power delivery for entire industries including computing, communications, and automotive.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — March 2019 — The EPC team will be delivering eleven technical presentations on gallium nitride (GaN) technology and applications at APEC 2019 in Anaheim, California from March 17^th through the 21^st. In addition, the company will demonstrate its latest eGaN FETs and ICs in customers’ end products that are enabled by eGaN technology.

EPC’s Phase Ten Reliability Report adds to the growing knowledge base published in the first nine reports. With this report, EPC has stress-tested over 30,000 parts for a total of over 18 million hours without failure.  There have been no field failures in over two years despite shipping millions of parts.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— February 2019 — EPC announces its Phase Ten Reliability Report, documenting the test results leading to the successful completion of automotive AEC-Q101 qualification. AEC-Q101 demands the highest level of reliability standards for power FETs, requiring not only zero datasheet failures, but also low parametric drift during stress testing.  Of note is that EPC’s WLCS packaging passed all the same testing standards created for conventional packaged parts, demonstrating that the superior performance of chip-scale packaging does not compromise ruggedness or reliability.

In this conference GaN market and technology status will be addressed and its future evolution will be debated by mixing visions from designers, manufacturers, and end users.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — January 2019 — Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) is joining forces with Yole Développement (Yole) and SEMI to sponsor the first ever ‘GaN Con,’ an industry networking event covering the entire power GaN industry from manufacturers to end users. The theme of GaN Con is “Power GaN: From promises to possible market explosion” and is focused on the emerging GaN market and the state-of-the-art for its underlying technology.

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.