High-speed control IC maximizes GaN device performance, says Rohm
Rohm Semiconductor has combined GaN devices and control ICs can result in greater energy savings and miniaturisation in power supplies. Rohm’s high speed control IC technology incorporates its Nano Pulse Control technology to maximise the performance of GaN and other high speed switching devices
Rohm has evolved its high-speed pulse control technology Nano Pulse Control for power supply ICs, improving the control pulse width from the conventional nine nanoseconds to what is claimed to be an industry-best of two nanoseconds.
To miniaturise the power supply circuit, designers need to reduce the size of the peripheral components through high speed switching. This can be achieved using a Control IC to take advantage of the drive performance of high-speed switching devices such as GaN devices, advised Rohm.
For designs which include peripheral components, Rohm established high-speed Control IC technology optimised for GaN devices using its proprietary analogue power supply technology, Nano Pulse Control.
Rohm is currently working to commercialise Control ICs and has announced plans to start shipping samples of 100V one-channel DC/DC Control ICs in the second half of 2023.
Rohm’s EcoGaN devices maximise the low on resistance and high speed switching characteristics of GaN to achieve lower application power consumption, smaller peripheral components, and simpler designs requiring fewer parts.
When Control ICs are used in conjunction with EcoGaN series devices, developers can expect to realise “significant” energy savings and miniaturisation in applications as wide ranging as basestations, data centres, factory automation equipment and drones, predicted Rohm.
Professor Yusuke Mori, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, commented: “Rohm has established a mass production system for GaN devices that deliver improved reliability while also developing Control ICs that can maximise their performance. This represents a huge step towards the widespread adoption of GaN devices.
“To truly demonstrate the performance of power semiconductors, it is necessary to organically link each technology, such as wafers, devices, Control ICs, and modules,” he added.
