1 May 2018

EPC completes automotive AEC Q101 qualification for first two eGaN devices

© Semiconductor Today Magazine / Juno PublishiPicture: Disco’s DAL7440 KABRA laser saw.

Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA – which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) for power management applications – has achieved AEC Q101 qualification of two eGaN devices, opening up a range of applications in automotive and other harsh environments.

The EPC2202 and EPC2203 are both discrete transistors in wafer-level chip-scale packaging (WLCS) with 80VDS ratings and will soon be followed by several more discrete transistors and integrated circuits designed for the harsh automotive environment.

eGaN technology has been in mass production for over eight years, accumulating billions of hours of field experience in automotive applications, such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and radar for autonomous cars, 48V–12V DC-DC converters, and high-intensity headlamps for trucks. These are the first EPC products to have completed AEC Q101 qualification testing.

The EPC2202 is an 80V, 16mΩ enhancement-mode FET with a pulsed current rating of 75A in a 2.1mm x 1.6mm chip-scale package. The EPC2203 is an 80V, 73mΩ device with a pulsed current rating of 18A in a 0.9mm x 0.9mm chip-scale package. The eGaN FETs are many times smaller and achieve switching speeds 10–100 times faster than their silicon MOSFET counterparts, it is reckoned. Both products are designed for a wide range of emerging automotive applications including: LiDAR; high-intensity headlights; 48V–12V DC-DC converters; and ultra-high fidelity infotainment systems.

To complete AEC Q101 testing, EPC’s eGaN FETs underwent rigorous environmental and bias-stress testing, including humidity testing with bias (H3TRB), high-temperature reverse bias (HTRB), high-temperature gate bias (HTGB), temperature cycling (TC), as well as several other tests. EPC’s WLCS packaging passed all the same testing standards created for conventional packaged parts, demonstrating that the superior performance of chip-scale packaging does not compromise ruggedness or reliability. The eGaN devices are produced in facilities certified to the Automotive Quality Management System Standard IATF 16949.

“These two initial automotive products will be followed by a constant stream of transistors and integrated circuits designed to enable autonomous driving and improve fuel economy and safety,” says CEO & co-founder Alex Lidow. “Our eGaN technology is faster, smaller, more efficient and more reliable than the aging silicon power MOSFET used in today’s vehicles.”

Pricing is $1.57 each for the EPC2202 and $0.44 each for the EPC2203, both in 1000-unit quantities. Both are available for immediate delivery from Digi-Key.

Tags: EPC E-mode GaN FETs GaN-on-Si

Visit: www.digikey.com/Suppliers/

Visit: www.epc-co.com