Infineon to start volume production of GaN this year
Engineering samples of the CoolGaN parts are available now, aimed at telecom, adapter, wireless charging and server applications. The devices enable twice the output power in a given energy storage slot size, freeing up space with higher efficiency at the same time.
“Infineon is the global leader in power solutions and we truly believe that the next big thing in power management is gallium nitride,” said Steffen Metzger, Senior Director High Voltage Conversion at Infineon. “Our goal is to be the first choice for customers when it comes to GaN power, and we have all assets in place to live up to this ambition. The market for GaN has been gaining a strong momentum; the advantages of using this technology in certain applications are evident. From operating expense and capital expenditure reduction, through higher power density enabling smaller and lighter designs, to overall system cost reduction, the benefits are compelling.”
Infineon has focussed on the packaging, reliability and qualification of the technology, citing a predicted lifetime of 55 years, exceeding the expected lifespan by 40 years.
Full production of CoolGaN 400 V and 600 V e-mode HEMTs will start by end of 2018. CoolGaN 400 V will be available in 70 mΩ in SMD bottom-side cooled TO-leadless and top-side cooled DSO-20-87 package. CoolGaN 600 V comes in top-side cooled DSO-20-87 package and bottom-side cooled DSO-20-85. The portofolio is fille dout with 70 mΩ and 190 mΩ 600V CoolGaN devices in bottom-side cooled TO-leadless and DFN 8×8 packages.