News: Microelectronics
17 March 2020
EPC launches first product in new ePower Stage IC family
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 launched an 80V, 12.5A power stage integrated circuit designed for 48V DC-DC conversion used in high-density computing applications and in motor drives for e-mobility.
The EPC2152 is a single-chip driver plus eGaN FET half-bridge power stage using the firm’s proprietary GaN IC technology. Input logic interface, level shifting, bootstrap charging and gate drive buffer circuits along with eGaN output FETs configured as a half-bridge are integrated within a monolithic chip. This results in a chip-scale LGA form-factor device that measures only 3.9mm x 2.6mm x 0.63mm.
When operated in a 48V-to-12V buck converter at 1MHz switching frequency, the EPC2152 ePower Stage achieves a peak efficiency above 96% with a solution that is 33% smaller in size on the printed circuit board (PCB) compared with an equivalent multi-chip discrete implementation, it is reckoned.
The EPC2152 is the first offering in what will be a wide-range family of integrated power stages available in chip-scale package (CSP) as well as multi-chip quad flat modules (QFM). Within a year the family will fill out with products capable of operating at high frequency up to 3-5MHz range as well as high current from 15A to 30A per power stage.
The family of products makes it easy for designers to take advantage of the significant performance improvements made possible with GaN technology, says EPC. Integrated devices in a single chip are easier to design, easier to layout, easier to assemble, save space on the PCB, and increase efficiency, the firm adds.
“Discrete power transistors are entering their final chapter. Integrated GaN-on-silicon offers higher performance in a smaller footprint with significantly reduced engineering required,” says CEO & co-founder Alex Lidow. “This new family of integrated power stages is the next significant stage in the evolution of GaN power conversion, from integrating discrete devices to more complex solutions that offer in-circuit performance beyond the capabilities of silicon solutions and enhance the ease of design for power systems engineers.”
The EPC90120 development board is a 80V maximum device voltage, 12.5A maximum output current, half-bridge featuring the EPC2152 Integrated ePower Stage. This 2” x 2” (50.8mm x 50.8mm) board is designed for optimal switching performance and contains all critical components for easy evaluation of the EPC2152 Integrated ePower Stage.
The EPC2152 ePower Stage is priced at $5.03 each in 1000-unit volumes. The EPC90120 development board is price at $123.75 each.
