A few simple thermal management guidelines can help conduct heat away from GaN FETs. Assaad Helou, Efficient Power Conversion Enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) FETs offer high power-density with ultra-fast switching and low on-resistance, all in a compact form factor. However, the power levels these high-performance devices provide can be limited by extreme heat-flux densities. If […]
FAQ
How reliable are GaN HEMTs?
GaN HEMTs are very reliable, but the precise answer is still being refined. Reliability relates to anticipated useful life and is typically measured in mean-time-to-failure. Reliability can be anticipated and determined in advance by testing and measurement. Proving and improving device reliability is an ongoing process. It begins with a device under test (DUT) being […]
What is d-GaN, e-GaN and v-GaN power?
Gallium-nitride (GaN) power semiconductors are well-established, but compared with silicon (Si) devices, GaN is still an evolving power device technology. Most power designers have at least explored the use of GaN, whether it’s been depletion-mode (d-GaN) normally-on devices, enhancement-mode (e-GaN) normally-off devices, a cascode combination of a Si MOSFET with a d-GaN device to form […]
Optimizing power delivery networks
A few rules of thumb help navigate the nuances and common pitfalls of power system design using power modules. Jeff Ham, Vicor Corp. With industry emphasis on minimizing and eliminating waste wherever possible, it is the responsibility of the system designer to optimize the overall power architecture. Every piece of electronic equipment has a power […]
Configurable SiC digital gate drivers and the electrification revolution
Silicon-carbide MOSFETs and digital gate drivers work together to make electrified metro, subway, and other heavy transportation vehicles possible. Nitesh Satheesh, Tomas Krecek, Perry Schugart, Xuning Zhang, Kevin Speer, Microchip Technology Green initiatives continue to transform power electronic system designs in industrial, aerospace, and defense applications, and especially the transportation sector. Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology […]
Basics of induction heating, Part 5: Do-It-Yourself versions
Induction heating is widely used in industry and even consumer appliances as a contact-free heating technique with many distinct advantages. We conclude this article by looking at how advanced amateurs can build their own induction-heating system. Induction heaters are among the many dramatic projects constructed by experimenters and hobbyists. After all, it’s impressive to heat […]
Basics of induction heating, Part 4: Consumer use
Induction heating is widely used in industry and even consumer appliances as a contact-free heating technique with many distinct advantages. Although we have looked only at induction heating for industrial applications, some of its attributes make it attractive in the kitchen as well. Of course, the kitchen-cooking scenario is not as constrained or well-defined as […]
Basics of induction heating, Part 3: Implementation
Induction heating is widely used in industry and even consumer appliances as a contact-free heating technique with many distinct advantages. The induction coil and workpiece are at the system’s core, but there’s much more to an induction-heating arrangement (Figure 1). In addition, there’s a power supply and resonant-tank circuit as a power amplifier which creates […]
Basics of induction heating, Part 2: Principles
Induction heating is widely used in industry and even consumer appliances as a contact-free heating technique with many distinct advantages. The understanding of induction heating begins with basic electromagnetic principles and that very ancient electrical component still in very wide use: the transformer. However, an induction-heating transformer does not resemble a standard AC-line power transformer, […]
Basics of induction heating, Part 1: Introduction
Induction heating is widely used in industry and even consumer appliances as a contact-free heating technique with many distinct advantages. A very common design challenge for many engineers is to manage and dissipate excess heat produced within or impinging on a system so the temperature of that system or some of its components does not […]
