Navitas earns Frost & Sullivan’s 2019 Global Technology Innovation Award for GaNFast Power ICs

Based on its recent analysis of the global gallium nitride (GaN) integrated circuit (IC) market, Frost & Sullivan has recognized Navitas Semiconductor Inc of El Segundo, CA, USA with the 2019 Global Technology Innovation Award for its unique GaNFast power ICs.

Frost & Sullivan presents the award annually to the firm that has developed a product with innovative features and functionalities that is gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer-value enhancements it enables.

Founded in 2014, Navitas introduced what it claimed to be the first commercial GaN power ICs. The firm says that its proprietary ‘AllGaN’ process design kit (PDK) monolithically integrates GaN power field-effect transistors (FETs) with GaN logic and analog circuits, enabling faster charging, higher power density and greater energy savings for mobile, consumer, enterprise, eMobility and new energy markets.

The firm leverages its proprietary GaN technology to address challenges such as integration and packaging, manufacturing capability, and voltage and switching issues, which are inherent in the legacy, silicon-dominated semiconductor industry.

“Navitas’ power ICs address system- and application-level concerns relating to power electronic circuits incorporated with GaN,” comments senior research analyst Sushrutha Katta Sadashiva. “Instead of delivering a stand-alone discrete product, Navitas developed GaN into a system-based solution; this vision resulted in the unique GaNFast power ICs,” he adds. “By leveraging its proprietary platform, Navitas achieved monolithic integration of GaN FETs with GaN drivers and other mixed-signal circuits. Navitas has embedded analog, logic and power circuits into a single package, thereby enabling the entire system to be faster, simpler, smaller and more energy efficient than existing offerings.”

Through its R&D, Navitas says it has achieved the ability to cater to the technical, size and performance requirements of various power electronic systems such as mobile chargers & adapters, solar inverters, chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), and switch-mode power supplies (SMPS). Its GaNFast power ICs are fabricated on 6-inch enhancement mode (E-mode) GaN-on-silicon wafers. The firm follows a fabless model for developing its products, which encourages third-party semiconductor manufacturers to venture into the GaN domain. Through manufacturing partnerships with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC) and Amkor, Navitas has been able to scale to high-volume production. In addition, it has partnered with component manufacturers such as TDK and Hitachi to create miniaturized transformers that can work along with GaNFast power ICs.

Navitas reckons that its GaN power ICs will have a significant impact on consumer electronics, communication, automobiles, energy and other industries where power electronics are widely used. Leveraging the relevance of GaN in power electronic applications with voltages of 200-1200V, the firm has developed power ICs in half-bridge topologies suitable for this range. In renewable energy, GaNFast power ICs can be embedded in solar micro-inverters to reduce operating costs and increase productivity.

“GaN ICs that integrate power, analog and digital circuits are enabling dramatic improvements to next-generation power systems, and we're pleased that Navitas and this exciting technology has been recognized for its industry impact,” says CEO & co-founder Gene Sheridan.

“Navitas sets the benchmark for companies planning to venture into the GaN power IC semiconductor market, and will significantly influence the growth of power-efficient and compact electronic devices in the near future,” comments Frost & Sullivan’s Sushrutha Katta Sadashiva. “Navitas’ thought leadership will accelerate the market penetration of GaN through the company’s pioneering GaNFast power ICs, which aligns with its vision to lead the high-speed revolution in power electronics.”

Tags: GaN Power electronics

Visit: www.navitassemi.com