News: Microelectronics
22 September 2020
EPC launches latest 100V eGaN FET 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 – says that it is advancing the performance capability while lowering the cost of off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of the EPC2218 and EPC2204 100V eGaN FETs. Applications include synchronous rectification, class-D audio, infotainment systems, DC–DC converters (hard-switched and resonant), and light detection & ranging (LiDAR) for autonomous cars, robotics and drones.
The EPC2218 (3.2mΩ, 231Apulsed) and the EPC2204 (6mΩ, 125Apulsed) have nearly 20% lower on-resistance (RDS(on)) as well as increased DC ratings compared with prior-generation eGaN FET products. The performance advantage over a benchmark silicon device is even higher.
The EPC2204 has 25% lower on-resistance, yet is three times smaller in area (at 1.5mm x 2.5mm versus 3.3mm x 3.3mm). Gate charge (QG) of 6.4nC (typical, at 5VGS) is less than half that of the silicon MOSFET benchmark’s 15nC (typical, at 10VGS) and, like all eGaN FETs, there is no reverse recovery charge (compared with 29nC QRR typical for the silicon MOSFET benchmark at 40V), enabling lower-distortion class-D audio amplifiers, as well as more efficient synchronous rectifiers and motor drives.
“With the clear superiority of these new 100V eGaN FETs, one might expect them to be priced at a premium. However, EPC has priced these state-of-the-art 100V transistors comparable with their aging ancestor, the silicon power MOSFET,” says co-founder & CEO Alex Lidow. “Designers can take advantage of devices that are higher performance, smaller, more thermally efficient and at a comparable cost,” he adds. “The displacement of the power MOSFET with GaN devices continues to accelerate.”
The EPC2218 is priced at $2.09 each and the EPC2204 at $0.99 each (in 2.5k reels), with half-bridge development boards EPC90123 and EPC9097, respectively, both priced at $118.75. All products and boards are available from distributor Digi-Key Corp.
