Renesas selects GaN Systems power transistors for 48/12 bidirectional DC/DC converters

GaN Systems has announced that its GaN (gallium nitride) power transistors have been selected for Renesas Electronics’ new automotive 48V/12V bidirectional DC/DC converter, significantly improving power density. The new converter uses GaN Systems’ GS61008P, a 100V enhancement-mode GaN-on-silicon power transistor, which reduces system size by 46%.

The Renesas solution targets 48V mild hybrid vehicles and electric motorcycles that require efficient 48V/12V DC/DC converters. GaN allows high switching frequencies with high efficiency – which means smaller magnetics and smaller size. GaN Systems’ GaN HEMTs can reduce PCB area by 50% compared to using Si-MOSFETs.

Advantages of the new converter include:

By leveraging the superior switching capability of GaN Systems transistors, PCB area was reduced by 46%, enabling a highly efficient power converter with a high switching frequency of 500kHz. This allowed the use of a very small 1.3µH inductor for significant size and weight reductions.

High efficiency over a wide load range. GaN combined with the automatic phase drop function enables efficient power conversion even at low loads, with power efficiency exceeding 94% over a wide load range of 400W to 3kW.

The ISL78226 PWM controller eliminates the need for complex DC/DC converter control software development.

The ISL78420/444 half-bridge driver provides a simple and cost-effective method of driving GaN transistors.

Jim Witham, CEO of GaN, said: “Automotive customers are constantly looking for improvements in power density and cost, and this design once again reflects the significant power density improvements that GaN can deliver in a smaller, more efficient and cost-effective design. The fact that this design comes from Renesas is significant, as they are the market leader in automotive semiconductor solutions and have a strong reputation for understanding the needs of the industry. This is an important step in bringing the benefits of GaN technology to this customer base.”

While GaN has significant traction in industries such as consumer electronics, GaN is becoming the technology of choice for power conversion and battery charging in hybrid and electric vehicles. GaN offers higher performance than silicon and silicon carbide at a very low cost, making it possible to cost-effectively reduce weight and improve efficiency in a wide range of electric vehicles.