CGD Launches New Low Thermal Resistance GaN Power IC Package for Data Centers, Inverters and More

New package provides higher power output, facilitates optical inspection, saves system cost, and improves reliability

June 4, 2024

Cambridge, UK - Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), a fabless green technology semiconductor company, has developed a range of highly efficient GaN power devices to enable greener electronics. CGD today introduced two new ICeGaN™ product family GaN power IC packages that offer low thermal resistance and facilitate optical inspection. Both packages are available in the well-proven DFN package for rugged reliability.

The DHDFN-9-1 (Dual Heatsink DFN) is a thin, double-sided cooled package with a footprint of only 10x10 mm and side wettable pad technology for easy optical inspection. It has low thermal resistance (Rth(JC)) and can be operated with bottom, top and double-side cooling, providing design flexibility. In top and especially double-side cooling configurations, performance is better than the commonly used TOLT package. The DHDFN-9-1 package features a bipolar pin design that facilitates optimized PCB layout and simple paralleling, allowing customers to easily handle applications up to 6 kW.

The BHDFN-9-1 (Bottom Heatsink DFN) is a bottom-cooled component that also uses side wettable pad technology for easy optical inspection. Its thermal resistance is 0.28 K/W , which is comparable to or better than other leading devices. The BHDFN has a 10x10 mm footprint, which is smaller than the commonly used TOLL package, but has a similar package layout, so it can also be used with TOLL packaged GaN power ICs for common layout, facilitating use and evaluation.

Nare Gabrielyan | Product Marketing Manager, CGD

“The new package is part of our strategy to enable customers to take advantage of the higher power density and efficiency benefits of our ICeGaN™ product family of GaN power ICs for servers, data centers, inverter/motor drives, microinverters and other industrial applications. These applications place higher demands on devices that are rugged, reliable and easy to design in. The new package supports and extends these inherent characteristics of the ICeGaN™ product family.”

Improving thermal resistance has the following benefits: First, more power output can be achieved at the same RDS(on). The device can also run at a lower temperature at the same power, so less heat dissipation is required, which reduces system cost. Second, lower operating temperature also leads to higher reliability and longer life. Finally, if the application requires lower cost, the designer can use a low-cost product with a higher RDS(on) to achieve the required power output.

The ICeGaN™ product family of GaN power IC packages in the new package will be publicly demonstrated for the first time at the PCIM exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, from June 11 to 13, 2024. CGD’s booth number is 7-643. Users are welcome to visit and learn about these products.