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A new gallium nitride (GaN) power IC claims to further simplify and speed the development of small form factor, high-power-density applications by offering greater integration and thermal performance. Besides the integration of drive, control and protection, it also incorporates EMI control and loss-less current sensing, all within a high-thermal-performance proprietary DPAK-4L package.
Navitas Semiconductor has unveiled this device, GaNSlim, following the release of its GaNFast and GaNSense devices. The Torrance, California-based supplier is targeting GaNSlim devices at chargers for mobile devices and laptops, TV power supplies, and LED lighting.
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Figure 1 GaNSlim is the company’s third-generation device with autonomous EMI control and loss-less sensing. Source: Navitas
“Our GaN focus is on integrated devices that enable high-efficiency, high-performance power conversion with the simplest designs and the shortest possible time-to-market,” said Reyn Zhan, senior manager of technical marketing at Navitas. The GaNSlim devices are rated at 700 V with RDS(ON) ratings from 120 mΩ to 330 mΩ.
Evolution of a GaN device
In an interview with EDN, Llew Vaughan-Edmunds, senior director of product management and marketing at Navitas, chronicled the company’s GaN technology journey. In the late 2010s, when most GaN suppliers were offering discrete devices, Navitas differentiated by integrating drivers, control and protection features alongside discrete GaN.
“The problem is that GaN switch is very fast, so while you can use it to your benefit, when gate starts to switch that fast, you inevitably see spikes,” said Edmunds. “At the same time, the gate is very sensitive, so you must regulate gate voltage as much as possible.” Otherwise, if the device voltage is 5 V and it goes to 7 V, it’s dangerous.
The GaNFast device was created by integrating a gate driver, and it significantly took off in travel adapters. Nearly three years later, in 2021, Navitas realized what OEMs and ODMs wanted. “They wanted sensing and over-temperature protection, and that’s when we released GaNSense,” Edmunds told EDN.
“Now, after several years of launch, we understand what the next requirements are, and this became GaNSlim,” Edmunds added. “Power design engineers want to reduce the heat and temperature, and they want a bigger, thermally enhanced package with the pitch between legs widened.”
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Figure 2 GaNSlim, an upgrade to the GaNSense design, incorporates EMI control and loss-less current sensing alongside the gate driver and various protection features. Source: Navitas
Anatomy of GaNSlim
Moreover, as Edmunds noted, power design engineers wanted Navitas to integrate the EMI function into the switch. “What happens with the travel adapters is that many EMI issues have to be worked around because the switch is so fast.”
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Figure 3 GaNSlim design comprises three basic building blocks: FET switch, gate driver IC, and thermally enhanced DPAK package. Source: Navitas
There are three basic building blocks of a GaNSlim device. First, the GaNSense Power FET is the GaN switch, a fast one, which enables loss-less current sensing. That, in turn, eliminates the need for external current sensing resistors and optimizes system efficiency and reliability.
Second, the GanSlim power IC, which integrates the gate driver and bolsters loss-less current sensing with programmable features. “We have loss-less sensing, meaning we do the sensing inside the IC, bringing half percent efficiency benefits,” Edmunds added.
It also incorporates over-temperature protection to ensure system robustness, and its auto sleep-mode increases light and no-load efficiency. Then there is autonomous turn-on/off slew rate control, which maximizes efficiency and power density while reducing external component count.
Third, the 4-pin, 6.6 x 9.6 mm DPAK package facilitates 7°C lower temperature operation versus conventional alternatives while supporting high-power-density designs with ratings up to 500 W.
GaN integration a differentiator
When summarizing GanSlim design, Edmunds said that Navitas took the 10-pin GaNSense I/O system and made it into three to four I/O systems. “We have integrated EMI control inside the switch and made it intelligent, removing a few components and thus lowering the system cost.” That’s how Navitas made GanSlim simpler and easier to use.
Edmunds added that engineers don’t have to worry about EMI, different I/Os, and how to control them with a micro because that’s all set up. He is also confident that with these integration capabilities and regulated EMI, Navitas is ahead of competition by three to four years.
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