News: Microelectronics
16 December 2021
ST launches first PowerGaN products for more energy-efficient, slimmer power supplies
STMicroelectronics of Geneva, Switzerland has unveiled a new family of gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors in its STPOWER portfolio that can significantly reduce energy use and enable slimmer designs in a variety of electronic products. Target applications include consumer equipment such as chargers, external power adapters for PCs, LED-lighting drivers, and power supplies inside televisions and home appliances. In higher-power applications, ST’s PowerGaN devices also benefit telecom power supplies, industrial motor drives, solar inverters, and electric vehicles and chargers.
“Commercializing GaN-based products is the next frontier for power semiconductors, and we are ready to realize the potential of this exciting technology. Today ST is announcing the first product in a new family, belonging to the STPOWER portfolio, that can deliver breakthrough performance for a large variety of power supplies across consumer, industrial, and automotive applications,” says Edoardo Merli, Power Transistor Macro-Division general manager & group VP of STMicroelectronics’ Automotive and Discrete Group. “We are committed to progressively building up our PowerGaN portfolio to enable customers to design more efficient, smaller power supplies everywhere.”
The first device in ST’s new G-HEMT transistor family is the 650V SGT120R65AL with 120mΩ maximum on-resistance (RDS(on)), 15A maximum current capability, and a Kelvin source connection for optimum gate driving. It is available now in an industry-standard PowerFLAT 5x6 HV compact surface-mount package, at $3 (in 1000-unit quantities). Typical applications are PC adaptors, USB wall chargers, and wireless charging.
In addition, 650V GaN transistors in development are available now as engineering samples. These include the SGT120R65A2S with 120mΩ RDS(on) in an advanced laminated package, the 2SPAK, which eliminates wire bonding to boost efficiency and reliability in high-power and high-frequency applications, as well as the SGT65R65AL and SGT65R65A2S both with 65mΩ R DS(on) in PowerFLAT 5x6 HV and 2SPAK, respectively. Volume production for these products is expected in second-half 2022.
In addition, a new cascode GaN transistor, SGT250R65ALCS with 250mΩ RDS(on) in a PQFN 5x6, belonging to the G-FET family, will be available for sampling in third-quarter 2022.
The G-FET transistor family is a very fast, ultra-low Qrr, robust GaN cascode or d-mode FET with standard silicon gate-drive for a wide range of power applications.
The G-HEMT transistor family is an ultra-fast, zero Qrr e-mode HEMT, easily parallelable, and well suited for very high-frequency and power applications.
G-FET and G-HEMT both belong to the PowerGaN family of the STPOWER product portfolio.
