The first 650-V automotive GaN FET with an integrated driver, protection and active power management today earned its inventor, Texas Instruments, a 2021 LEAP Award.
More than 100 entries were received for the annual competition which celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. This year’s winners were chosen by an independent judging panel of 12 engineering and academic professionals.
The Texas Instruments GaN FET was a winner in the LEAP Award Power Electronics category. The automotive GaN FETs feature a fast-switching, 2.2-MHz integrated gate driver, helping engineers deliver twice the power density, achieve 99% efficiency and reduce the size of power magnetics by 59% compared to existing solutions. The FETs are built from proprietary GaN materials and processing capabilities on a GaN-on-silicon (Si) substrate, said to provide a cost and supply-chain advantage over comparable substrate materials such as silicon carbide.
“Industrial and automotive applications increasingly demand more power in less space, and designers must deliver proven power management systems that operate reliably over the long lifetime of the end equipment,” said Steve Lambouses, vice president for High Voltage Power at TI. “TI’s GaN technology provides the lifetime reliability engineers require in any market.”
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