ROHM Develops EcoGaN Power Stage IC
ROHM, one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers, has developed the BM3G0xxMUV-LB, a Power Stage IC that combines a 650V GaN HEMT*2 and a driver for gate drive for primary power supplies*1 for industrial equipment such as data servers, and for consumer electronics equipment such as AC adapters.
In recent years, in order to realize a sustainable society, higher energy-saving requirements have been placed on power supplies for consumer electronics and industrial equipment. In response to this demand, GaN HEMT has been expected as a device that is very useful for improving power conversion efficiency and realizing device miniaturization. However, compared to Si MOSFETs, GaN HEMTs are difficult to handle at the gate and must be used in conjunction with a driver for driving the gate. Against this market backdrop, ROHM developed the Power Stage IC, which combines a GaN HEMT, a power semiconductor, and a gate driver, an analog semiconductor, by combining the strengths of ROHM's two core technologies, power and analog. This product makes it easy to install GaN devices, which have been called the "next generation of power semiconductors.
The new product integrates a 650V GaN HEMT, a next-generation power device, a dedicated gate driver that maximizes the performance of the GaN HEMT, new functions, and peripheral components. In addition, the new product supports a wider drive voltage range (2.5V to 30V) and has the performance to support various controller ICs for primary power supplies, making it possible to replace existing Si MOSFETs (Super Junction MOSFET*3/hereinafter referred to as "Si MOSFETs"). Compared to Si MOSFETs, the device size can be reduced by approximately 99% and power loss by approximately 55%, thus realizing both lower loss and smaller size.
What is EcoGaN?
EcoGaN is a series of ROHM GaN devices that contribute to further energy saving and miniaturization of applications by making greater use of the performance of GaN. This series of products contributes to further reduction of power consumption in applications, miniaturization of peripheral components, and reduction of design man-hours and component count.
What is GaN HEMT
GaN (Gallium Nitride) is a compound semiconductor material used in next-generation power components. It has superior physical properties compared to Si (silicon), a common semiconductor material, and is now being used in an increasing number of applications due to its excellent high-frequency characteristics.
HEMT is a High Electron Mobility Transistor.