雜談GaN技術

使用手術機器人的微創手術為尋求更高精度的外科醫生提供了前所未有的控制能力，從而減少了患者的風險和創傷，加速了康復過程。為了控制各種機器人附屬裝置，如手臂、關節和工具控制，需要許多電機來賦予手術機器人所需的自由度（DOF）和靈活性，以執行極其精細的操作。因此，電機控制電路的重量和尺寸是這類機器人設計中的重要因素，因為它們直接影響手術過程中操縱機器人附屬裝置的電機的尺寸。

增強型 GaN 功率器件（eGaN® FETs 和 ICs）為用戶提供了區分其最終產品的途徑。這項新技術在支持我們的設備和電子設備的隨處可見的電源供應和輸送電路中顯著提高了效率。

本文最初於2018年5月16日星期三發表在Compound Semiconductor網站上。了解更多有關eGaN技術和EPC GaN汽車應用解決方案的內容，請參閱汽車應用。

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a better semiconductor than silicon. There are many crystals that are better than silicon, but the problem has always been that they are far too expensive to be used in every application where silicon is used. But, GaN can be grown as an inexpensive thin layer on top of a standard silicon wafer enabling devices that are faster, smaller, more efficient, and less costly than their aging silicon counterparts.

This post was originally published on TI’s TI E2E Community “Power House” Blog. Learn more about eGaN technology here and EPC GaN solutions here.

In January of 2016 I made several predictions for the then-nascent year. Predictions were made for new markets such as wireless charging, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and advances in medical diagnostics and internet access. Progress in these markets was made on all fronts, sometimes faster and sometimes slower than anticipated. So here we are about to start a new year and, perhaps foolishly I am ready once again to predict the future.

Class-D audio amplifiers have traditionally been looked down upon by audiophiles, and in most cases, understandably so. Switching transistors for Class-D amplifiers have never had the right combination of performance parameters to produce an amplifier with sufficient open-loop linearity to satisfy the most critical listeners. This restricted the classical analog modulator Class-D systems to lower-power, lower-quality sound systems.

To accomplish the required headline marketing THD+N performance targets, Class-D amplifiers have had to resort to using large amounts of feedback to compensate for their poor open-loop performance. By definition, large amounts of feedback introduce transient intermodulation distortion (TIM), which introduces a ‘harshness’ that hides the warm subtleties and color of the music that were intended for the listening experience.

In past postings , we looked at the applications that have emerged because of new capabilities available with #GaN technology. We also discussed the transformational nature of some of these applications in areas like medicine, telecommunications,human-machine interfaces, and the delivery of electrical power itself (wireless power transfer). GaN technology is entering an era similar to the 80’s and 90’s when the utility of technological improvement was apparent across broad commercial markets. Consequentially, consumers will be willing to pay a premium for the life-style improvements enabled by these improvements thereby accelerating growth of GaN applications for the foreseeable future.