TI's GaN technology brings half the size and double the power to machines

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TI's GaN technology brings half the size and double the power to machines [Copy link]

From "brick" mobile phones to bulky TVs, power modules once occupied a considerable space in electronic and electrical products, and the market demand for higher power density continues to increase.

Innovations in silicon power technology have helped to slash the size of these applications, but it has been hard to go further. Silicon simply cannot deliver the higher power at the frequencies needed in today’s form factors. Power is a critical factor for the upcoming 5G wireless networks, as well as future technologies from robotics to renewable energy to data centers.

Engineers are now in a very awkward situation. On the one hand, they cannot continue to increase the power within the existing space, but at the same time they do not want to increase the space required for the equipment. If the size cannot be increased, then the only option is to increase the power density.

Learn how to achieve higher power density with Texas Instruments' GaN product portfolio. .

The era of GaN
For more than 60 years, silicon has been the basic material in electrical components, widely used to convert AC and DC power and adjust DC voltage to meet the needs of many applications from mobile phones to industrial robots. Although the necessary components have been continuously improved and optimized, the limits of physics are an insurmountable gap in front of silicon materials.

At the same time, a new class of power and conversion systems based on GaN is emerging that lose less power and generate less heat, important properties because high temperatures can increase operating costs, interfere with network signals and cause equipment failures.

GaN can handle higher frequencies and more efficient power, delivering the same power in half the size and half the energy consumption of silicon components. This can increase power density, helping customers meet higher power requirements without increasing design space.

Higher frequency switching means GaN can convert a wider range of power at once, reducing the number of power conversions in complex devices. Since each power conversion generates new energy consumption, this is a significant advantage for many high-voltage applications.

Of course, a technology that has been developing for 60 years will not be replaced overnight, but after years of research, practical verification and reliability testing, GaN will become the best technology to solve the power density problem. Texas Instruments has conducted 20 million hours of accelerated reliability testing on GaN devices at operating temperatures and voltages higher than silicon materials. During this test time, the world record holder for long-distance flight, GlobalFlyer, can fly around the earth 259,740 times.

GaN processes, technologies and devices are fully qualified and ready for volume production . Texas Instruments has shared these GaN qualification protocols with the Associated Engineering Design Association standards body and will lead its GaN Qualification Committee.

The future development of GaN
In some key industries where power density is a priority, GaN has begun to replace silicon materials. "At present, Texas Instruments has completed the packaging and testing of GaN, and for customers who prioritize power density, they have a new option.

The best-suited industries for mass production of GaN power modules include:

Manufacturing: Today’s typical robot arms do not actually integrate all the electronic components needed for the arm to work. Because the power conversion and motor drive components are too large and energy inefficient, they are usually installed in separate cabinets and connected to the robot arm through long wiring distances. This reduces the production efficiency per cubic meter of industrial robots. With GaN technology, it is easier to integrate the drive and power conversion components into the robot. This simplifies the design, reduces redundant wiring, and reduces operating costs.

Data Centers: As the market demand for digital services increases, data centers are undergoing a transformation to direct power supply with 48V DC power. Traditional silicon power conversion modules cannot effectively convert 48V voltage once to the lower voltage required by most computer hardware. The intermediate steps will reduce the power efficiency of the data center. GaN can reduce the voltage from 48V to the load point voltage before delivering it to the server and chip. This can significantly reduce power distribution losses and reduce conversion losses by 30%.

Wireless services: Wide-area 5G network coverage requires operators to deploy equipment with higher power and operating frequency. Given that network operators do not want to increase the size of signal tower equipment, GaN's power density advantage can meet their needs.

Renewable energy : The generation and storage of renewable energy also requires power conversion, so GaN's efficiency advantages can play a key role. In renewable energy planning, energy is usually stored in a smart grid manner. If electricity can be transferred to and from large storage batteries more efficiently when wind turbines are stationary or solar panels are no longer absorbing sunlight, this will become a very significant advantage. Texas Instruments and partners have demonstrated that GaN can convert 10 kilowatts of renewable energy with 90% efficiency, which is an excellent performance benchmark for power companies.

In the future, GaN will continue to expand into applications such as consumer electronics, creating thinner flat-panel displays and reducing energy waste in rechargeable devices. "If you just need a 3% or 4% improvement in energy efficiency, you can do it in many other ways. If you want to double the power density, then GaN is your first choice.