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
Read article

There have been several comparisons of eGaN FETs with silicon MOSFETs in a variety of applications, including hard-switched, soft-switched, and high-frequency power conversion. These studies have shown that eGaN FETs have large efficiency and power density advantages over silicon MOSFETs. Here we’ll focus on the use of eGaN FETs in synchronous rectifier (SR) applications and the importance of dead-time management. We show that eGaN FETs can dramatically reduce loss due to dead-time in synchronous rectifiers above and beyond the benefits of low RDS(on)and charge.

Power Systems Design
By: Dr. John Glaser & Dr. David Reusch, Efficient Power Conversion
June 13, 2016
Read article

EPC’s new development boards can be configured as either a buck converter or a ZVS class-D amplifier, demonstrating reduced losses at high frequency using an eGaN FET synchronous bootstrap augmented gate drive.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2016 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) Introduces the EPC9066, EPC9067, and EPC9068 development boards, which are configurable to a buck converter or as a ZVS class-D amplifier. These boards provide an easy-to-use way for power systems designers to evaluate the exceptional performance of gallium nitride transistors, enabling the designers to get their products into volume production quickly. All three boards feature a zero reverse recovery (Q_RR) synchronous bootstrap rectifier augmented gate driver to increase efficiency at high frequency operation, up to 15 MHz. The boards can produce a maximum output of 2.7 A in the buck and ZVS class-D amplifier configurations. Loss reduction is realized across the entire current range.

EPC2027 eGaN^® FET offers power systems designers a 450 V power transistor capable of 4ns rise times for high frequency DC-DC converters and medical diagnostic instruments.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — January 2015 — EPC announces the EPC2027, a 450 V normally off (enhancement mode) power transistor for use in applications requiring high frequency switching in order to achieve higher efficiency and power density. Applications enhanced by high voltage higher switching speeds include ultra-high frequency DC-DC converters, medical diagnostic equipment, solar power inverters, and LED lighting.

In this installment of the ‘How to GaN’ series we will discuss a new family of eGaN FETs that is keeping Moore’s Law alive with significant gains in key switching figures of merit that widen the performance gap with the power MOFET in high frequency power conversion.

EEWeb
By: Alex Lidow
October, 2014

On September 3^rd IEEE PELS will offer a webinar by Dr. Johan Strydom discussing the contribution of gallium nitride power transistors to meet the demanding system bandwidth requirements of envelope tracking applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— August 2014 — An Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) expert on the application of gallium nitride transistors in envelope tracking power circuit design will conduct a one-hour webinar sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) on September 3^rd from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM (EDT).

This article presents hard-switching buck converter results switching at 10 MHz and gives a breakdown of the converter losses. It will demonstrate the unmatched high frequency performance capability currently available using eGaN^® FETs and also highlight the current limitations to pushing to even higher switching frequencies.

EEWeb
By: Alex Lidow
August, 2014

Since the Robotics and Mechatronics Institute is highly interested in the improvement of sensor and power electronics, we used the opportunity of this new robot development to evaluate the new enhancement mode Gallium Nitride FET technology from EPC and compare it with our up to this time best inverter design.

Bodo’s Power Systems
By Robin Gruber, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
March, 2014

At the IEEE APEC 2014 power electronics industry conference, EPC applications experts will make technical presentations on GaN FET technology and applications showing the superiority of GaN transistors compared to silicon power MOSFETs.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — February, 2014 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN®) power FETs will be presenting three application-focused technical presentations at APEC 2014. Participants will learn about high frequency resonant converter, and high-frequency, hard-switched power converter design. The conference will be held in Fort Worth, Texas from March 16th through the 20th.

A highly resonant, loosely coupled, 6.78 MHz ISM band wireless power transfer will be presented that show how eGaN FETs are enabling this technology. This column will show efficient wireless energy transfer using current eGaN FETs, and present examples of a voltage mode class D and class E approach.

EEWeb
By: Alex Lidow
January, 2014

In this installment a return to hard-switching converters is made, but with a push to higher frequencies – beyond the practical limits of silicon technology.

EEWeb
By: Alex Lidow
December, 2013

EPC9106 Class D audio amplifier reference design, using high frequency switching gallium nitride power transistors, demonstrates efficiency enhancement, size reduction and eliminates need for a heat sink while delivering prosumer quality sound.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — November 2013 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) introduces the EPC9106, a reference design for a 150 W, 8 Ω Class D audio amplifier. This demonstration board uses a Bridge-Tied-Load (BTL) design, composed of four ground-referenced half-bridge output stages, which allows scalability and expandability of the design. All elements that can impact the sonic performance of Class D Audio systems are minimized or eliminated in an eGaN FET-based system.

Power conversion at switching frequencies of 10 MHz and above requires both high-speed transistors and high frequency capable packaging. eGaN FETs have demonstrated their ability to improve high frequency power conversion compared with the aging power MOSFET by providing unmatched device performance as well as packaging.

Bodo’s Power Systems
Guest Editorial: Alex Lidow
November, 2013

With the introduction of this family of eGaN® FETs, power systems and RF designers now have access to high performance gallium nitride power transistors enabling innovative designs not achievable with silicon.

October, 2013
Bodo's Power Systems