- News
14 March 2019
Panasonic’s GaN/SiC power devices showcased at APEC
In booth 913 at the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC 2019) in Anaheim, CA, USA (17-21 March), Panasonic Corp of Osaka, Japan is showcasing a variety of power device products based on gallium nitride (GaN)/silicon carbide (SiC) featuring low-loss characteristics that surpass the physical limit of existing silicon technology, from devices to solutions to application examples.
By employing a proprietary structure, Panasonic’s 600V X-GaN power device has achieved normally-off and current-collapse-free characteristics, enabling a size reduction and improving the efficiency of power conversion systems, it is claimed. Panasonic is also showcasing industrial subsystems that can take full advantage of the X-GaN’s high performance, as well as application demos and an evaluation kit for checking X-GaN performance.
Panasonic’s proprietary DioMOS (diode-integrated MOSFET) structure enables a size reduction of SiC modules by adding free-wheel diode functionality (which is necessary for power supplies and inverters) to transistors. At APEC, Panasonic is introducing SiC-DioMOS-related solutions.
Finally, Panasonic is providing a new GaN bi-directional switch capable of switching bi-directional and single-directional current conduction as well as high-voltage isolation with a single element. Because it enables a significant reduction in conduction losses and number of elements for this switching system, the GaN bi-directional switch contributes to downsizing and higher conversion efficiency in power converter circuits. Panasonic is also showcasing small DBM (drive-by-microwave) isolated gate drivers that can drive this GaN bidirectional switch.
On 19 March (15:00-15:30) in Session Room 303AB at the Anaheim Convention Center, Panasonic is giving an Exhibitor Seminar on ‘X-GaN Power Transistor Breakdown Mechanisms’.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency evaluates using Panasonic’s X-GaN power transistors
Panasonic GaN HEMTPower electronics SiC power modules