根据国家知识产权局官网20204年4月2日的消息，宜普电源转换公司（Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, EPC，以下简称宜普公司）一件名为“增强型GaN高电子迁移率晶体管器件及其制备方法”的专利(专利号ZL201080015388.2)的核心权利要求6、9、10、13、14、17、18、22-26在无效程序（案件编号：4W116775）中被维持有效。该件专利的无效请求人是英诺赛科（苏州）科技有限公司（以下简称英诺赛科公司）。

According to the information on the official website of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) on April 2, 2024, the key claims 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18 and 22-26 of the Chinese patent titled “Enhancement mode GaN HEMT device and method for fabricating the same” (Patent No. ZL201080015388.2) owned by Efficient Power Conversion Corp (“EPC”) have been maintained valid during an invalidation procedure (case number: 4W116775), which was requested by the petitioner Innoscience (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. (“Innoscience”).

Power semiconductors are used across many areas of e-mobility, with different technologies suitable for each part of a vehicle, depending on the voltage and current requirements, while emerging tech is allowing smaller systems to be implemented. With GaN and SiC technologies maturing and coming down in price, adoption is growing, and the technologies are increasingly dominating the design and development of e-mobility powertrain and power systems.

E-Mobility Engineering
March 2024
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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
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宜普電源轉換公司聯合創辦人暨執行長Alex Lidow表示，GaN的成本競爭力亦與Si MOSFET並駕齊驅，潛在爆發力更有過之而無不及，目前最關鍵就是得重塑諸多研究者的老舊觀念，認為GaN昂貴到碰不得。GaN的技術正迎來轉捩點，在先進運算、車用電子、太空電子及消費電子等新型應用設計多數採GaN技術，而非Si MOSFET。

DIGITIMES Asia
2023年9月
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宜普電源轉換公司聯合創辦人暨執行長Alex Lidow接受DIGITIMES專訪，提到GaN主要會被應用在650V及以下市場。反之碳化矽則是主導650V以上的市場，它可望取代矽基絕緣閘極雙極性電晶體。宜普也在開發對速度及尺寸特性極為要求的400V以下市場。且致力於製造比Si功率元件擁有更高性能、更具成本競爭力的GaN元件。

DIGITIMES Asia
2023年9月
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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 (R_DS(on)) in GaN HEMTs under repetitive voltage overshoot up to billions of switching cycles. The dynamic R_DS(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 R_DS(on) monitoring. A physics-based model was proposed to correlate the dynamic R_DS(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 R_DS(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
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2023年7月3日中國商務部宣佈8月起對鎵、鍺相關物項的出口實施管制。宜普電源轉換公司的晶圓技術是矽基氮化鎵，儘管每個元件中有其微量鎵含量，相對全球鎵來源廣泛，宜普的需求相對較小。我們預計不會出現短期或長期的供應中斷。

In this episode of Spirit: Behind the Screen, Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy chats with EPC’s CEO Alex Lidow and Marketing Director Renee Yawger about the progress of GaN. They discuss GaN’s performance under high radiation as well as the extensive testing, failure modes and device lifespan detailed in EPC’s Phase 15 reliability report. With the full potential of GaN still to be explored and new EPC products releasing frequently, including new half-bridge drivers, low-side drivers and full power stage, GaN is especially useful in New Space and commercial space applications.

Spirit: Behind the Screen
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EPC’s GaN Experts will be available during PCIM Europe 2023, showcasing the latest generation of GaN FETs and ICs in a wide variety of real-world applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — April 2023 — — EPC, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride FETs and ICs,will be delivering multiple technical presentations on GaN technology and showcasing applications at PCIM Europe 2023 in Nuremburg, 09 – 11 May (see detailed schedule below). In addition, the company will demonstrate its latest eGaN^® FETs and ICs in a large variety of customer end products in Hall 9, Stand 318.

In this episode of The EEcosystem Podcast, our guest is Dr. Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion. In this episode, we will find out more about Alex and learn about MOSFETs and the rise of GaN. How did MOSFETs grow so quickly? What technologies are driving GaN adoptions and why. We will also discuss the potential obstacles to GaN adoption. This and many more questions will be answered as we go along! Listen to this episode to learn more!

April, 2023
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This article discusses the advantages of GaN-based power stages and introduces a sample device from EPC, implemented in a half-bridge topology. It explains how to use associated development kits to quickly get started on a project. In the process, designers will learn how to measure the parameters of a BLDC motor and operate it in sensorless field orientation control (FOC) with minimal programming effort using Microchip Technology’s motorBench Development Suite.

Digi-Key Electronics
April, 2023
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions with two new devices rated at 100 V and 200 V to address a multitude of critical spaceborne and other high-reliability .

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— April 2023 — EPC announces the introduction of two new radiation-hardened GaN FETs. The EPC7020 is a 200 V, 11 mΩ, 170 A_Pulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a small 12 mm² footprint. The EPC7003 is a 100 V, 30 mΩ, 42 A_Pulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a tiny 1.87 mm² footprint.  Both devices have a total dose radiation rating greater than 1,000K Rad(Si) and SEE immunity for LET of 83.7 MeV/mg/cm² with V_DS up to 100% of rated breakdown. These new devices, along with the rest of the Rad Hard family, EPC7019, EPC7014, EPC7004, EPC7018, EPC7007, are offered in a chip-scale package, the same as the commercial eGaN^® FET and IC family.  Packaged versions will be available from EPC Space.

宜普電源轉換公司(EPC)發佈第十五階段產品可靠性測試報告，進一步豐富了關於氮化鎵元件可靠性的知識庫和展示了 EPC eGaN 產品的穩健耐用性已在實際應用中得到驗證。

EPC 宣佈發佈其第十五階段產品可靠性測試報告，記錄了持續使用測試元件至失效的方法，並針對太陽能優化器、光達感測器和DC/DC 轉換器等實際應用，加入了具體的可靠性指標和預測數據。

宜普電源轉換公司(EPC) 擴展了其封裝兼容的ePower™ IC系列，提高功率密度和簡化設計以滿足DC/DC應用、馬達控制器和D類音頻放大器的不同功率要求。

繼早前推出的100 V、35 A功率級IC（EPC23102）之後，EPC公司新推兩款100V功率級IC，其額定電流分別為15 A(EPC23104)和25 A(EPC23103)。

With Electronic Power Steering (EPS), the hydraulic system is replaced with an electric motor that aids the driver only when needed. Its digital assistance control can be modified online to adapt to driving conditions. There are, however, several design constraints to consider. One is that the driver does not want to lack the haptic feedback from the tires, especially when a vehicle is large, such as a truck. Other constraints are determined by safety regulations, particularly for automatic guided vehicles. These constraints require adopting an efficient, accurate and redundant system. Gallium nitride technology helps the designers in all these areas.

Power Electronics News
March, 2023
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—  March 2023 – Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride FETs and ICs, has teamed up with SHARGE Technology (SHARGE) to design a 67 W USB PD charger with a power display screen. The Retro 67 fast charger uses EPC’s 100 V GaN FET, EPC2218, which can deliver 231 A pulsed current in a tiny footprint of 3.5 mm x 1.95 mm offering designers a significantly smaller, more efficient device than silicon MOSFET for USB PD fast chargers.

EPC2218 provides SHARGE’s All-GaN fast charger with higher efficiency, state-of-the-art power density and lower system cost.

Since the launch of GaN-on-Si enhancement mode power transistors in March 2010 there has been a slow but monotonic shift towards adoption and replacement of silicon-based power MOSFETs. Initial adoption came from risk-taker visionaries in applications such as lidar, high-end audio amplifiers, robots, vehicle headlamps, and high-performance DC-DC converters. For the expansion of GaN for power conversion to get beyond the early adopters, a more user-friendly format than the WLCP needed to be developed. This format, however, needed to preserve the key attributes of small size, low RDS(on), high speed, excellent thermal conductivity, and low cost. In other words, the best package would be the least amount of package technically possible. Enter the PQFN…

Bodo’s Power Systems
March, 2023
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With the increase in government mandates to combat climate change, automakers are moving quickly to leverage new technology to respond by switching from the internal combustion engine to electric-drive vehicles. This article presents the design of a 2 kW, two-phase 48 V/12 V bi-directional converter using GaN FETs that achieves 96% efficiency and is targeted for the 48 V mild hybrid system.

PSD North America
March, 2023
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EPC的GaN專家將在其APEC展位展示各種應用所採用的最新一代GaN FET 和 IC。

宜普電源轉換公司(EPC)是增强型氮化鎵FET和IC領域的全球領導者，將於3月19日至23日在奧蘭多舉行的IEEE APEC 2023會議上發表多項技術演講，詳情請參閱下方時間表。此外，我們還會在奧蘭治縣會議中心的732號展位展示最新一代的 eGaN^®FET和IC，其應用範圍包括高功率密度計算、電動汽車、機器人、太陽能、電池充電等。歡迎蒞臨參觀“GaN之牆”,我們提供市場上最廣泛的氮化鎵功率半導體產品組合，可現成交付。

Five times smaller than an equivalent silicon MOSFET and twice as powerful as the previous generation of eGaN devices is the new sixth generation of devices introduced by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC). We asked CEO Alex Lidow in the video.

Electroniknet.de
November 29, 2022
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