Rad-hard FET drivers to be linked with GaN FETs

Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ:ISIL), a provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, announced plans to extend its market leading radiation tolerant portfolio to include Gallium Nitride (GaN) power conversion ICs for satellites and other harsh environment applications.

Intersil will couple its radiation hardened FET drivers with GaN FETs to deliver performance that leapfrogs existing products that rely on traditional high-rel FET technologies. GaN provides better conductivity and switching characteristics that enable several system benefits, including a reduction in system power losses.

“Intersil has decades of experience developing state-of-the-art radiation tolerant devices and a long heritage supplying space flight applications,” said Philip Chesley, senior vice president of Precision Products at Intersil. “When combined with the demonstrated ability of GaN devices to operate reliably under harsh environmental conditions, we will provide customers with a far superior alternative to existing FET technology.”

Intersil is collaborating with Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC), the first to introduce enhancement-mode gallium-nitride-on-silicon (eGaN®) FETs as power MOSFET replacements, and a leading provider of enhancement-mode gallium nitride power transistors. Intersil’s new products based on the eGaN technology will be sampling this summer.

Intersil
www.intersil.com