News: Microelectronics
19 January 2022
Navitas’ GaN IC powering vivo’s iQOO 9 Pro smartphone
Gallium nitride (GaN) power integrated circuit firm Navitas Semiconductor of El Segundo, CA, USA and Dublin, Ireland says that its GaNFast power IC is driving the 120W ultra-fast charger supplied ‘in-box’ with the iQOO-brand flagship iQOO 9 Pro mobile phone of China-based vivo. The 9 Pro’s 4700mAhr battery charges from 0-100% in only 19 minutes. Also, at only 60.5mm x 52.5mm x 28.8mm (92cc), the charger is 26% smaller than the previous generation, reaching 1.3W/cc power density. Weighing just 135g, the iQOO 120W GaNFast charger is similar in size and weight to regular 65W chargers.
Founded in 2014, Navitas introduced what it claimed to be the first commercial GaN power integrated circuits. Its proprietary GaNFast power ICs monolithically integrate GaN power field-effect transistors (FETs) and GaN drive plus control and protection circuits in a single SMT package. Since GaN is reckoned to run up to 20x faster than silicon, GaNFast power ICs are said to deliver up to 3x faster charging or 3x more power in half the size and weight. Over 30 million GaNFast power ICs have been shipped with zero reported field failures.
Navitas says that its next-generation GaNSense technology integrates real-time, accurate and fast sensing of system parameters, including current and temperature, and achieves patent-pending lossless current sensing. Integrated GaNSense products are reckoned to be 6x faster than discrete GaN power chips, and take only 30ns from detection to protection. GaNSense technology delivers an additional 10% energy savings, further reduces the number of external components, and reduces system size. In addition to enhanced charging performance, GaNFast chargers are said to enable up to 30% reduction in CO2 footprint versus silicon chargers.
iQOO series’ high-end flagship series - iQOO 9 - has ultra-fast charging speed. The iQOO 9 Pro is equipped with a new Snapdragon 8 processor, 4700mAh dual-cell battery, and supports both 120W ultra-fast charging and 50W wireless charging.
“GaNFast power ICs with GaNSense technology enable significant upgrades in speed, weight and power density,” says Navitas’ CEO & co-founder Gene Sheridan. “From Navitas’ debut in the iQOO supply chain, we look forward to bringing more GaN innovations in the future, to continue our efforts in helping vivo and iQOO upgrade other charging products,” he adds.
