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Q.10 In which applications will GaN be used and offer the biggest benefit?
A10: GaN will make an impact in many segments such as mobile power, telecom, servers, Class D audio systems and
motor drives bringing benefits such as higher efficiency, smaller form factor, and lower harmonic distortion.
Adoption rates will differ from application to application, starting with those where highest performance is required
or system cost or Total Cost of Ownership reduction is achieved. Also, high efficiency / high density AC/DC and
DC/DC in telecom/server applications and high density AC/DC in consumer SMPS. As an example, Infineon expects
GaN to be the key technology enabling 98% A-Z efficiency in high-power SMPS for Telecom rectifiers. GaN HEMTs
devices complement the existing 600 650 V CoolMOS™ portfolio by providing a high performance switch option
that addresses the need for operating frequencies higher than those addressed by CoolMOS™. GaN extends the
power switch portfolio from a few hundred kHz up into the MHz range to enable high density power supplies.
Q11. When will Infineon launch GaN products?
A.11 Infineon’s first products will be discrete GaN switches in SMD packages targeting high power SMPS in the PFC
and main DC/DC stage and high density AC/DC for server/telecom and consumer applications.
Enhancement mode 600 V: information is available for key customers under NDA in the case of specific design-in
opportunities.
Cascode 100 V and 600 V: the first 100V GaN product has been in mass production with leading class-D Audio
customer since 2013. All other products: information is available to key customers under NDA in case of specific
design-in opportunities.
Q.12 What are the (technical) challenges for a customer?
A.12 Any device capable of very fast switching will have to be optimally integrated into a good package and PCB,
since otherwise parasitic behavior will destroy the performance benefit of GaN. The use of SMD packages is key, as
well as careful management of the system and PCB layout. All this combined will help to take full advantage of the
capability of GaN. In addition, new high frequency topologies and circuits using GaN will require advanced
controllers and control strategies to extract the ultimate performance capability that GaN offers. Driving cascode
GaN transistors is straightforward. Care must be taken to minimize loop inductance both in the gate drive as well as
the power loop to minimize voltage and current peaks, and gain the maximum benefit out of the fast switching
devices. This is also true for the enhancement mode transistors. However, this device has increased gate drive
complexity. Infineon will be providing application notes and evaluation boards to explain how this works in detail. All
documentation will be released in combination with dedicated product launches. GaN devices exhibit a much lower
output capacitance. In resonant applications, care must be taken to design the resonant part of the switching,
including parameter variations of the resonant tank, to accommodate this behavior.
Q.13 Pricing - How much will it cost? How does it compare to MOSFET / SiC Devices?
A.13 Simply comparing the price of a GaN device to an existing Silicon FET is not meaningful. GaN could be a drop-in
replacement for an existing Silicon FET, but the incremental benefit of that approach does not realize the full value
GaN can offer. GaN will be used in advanced topologies enabling higher performance, efficiency, and power density
than today’s Silicon FETs. One has to consider the overall system value – the total BOM and SYSTEM costs and TCO
and the additional performance. Clearly the overall price/performance has to offer value over existing solutions, or
there would be no motivation to adopt this new technology.
Q.14 Where is the regional market focus?
A.14 The focus is on applications rather than regions. Initial application focus is commercial and consumer power
supplies for markets where power density, size and form-factor (thickness for example) are key value drivers.
Infineon’s first products will be discrete GaN switches in SMD packages targeting high power SMPS in the PFC and
main DC/DC stage and high density AC/DC for server/telecom and consumer applications.
Q.15 When will samples be available?
A. 15 Enhancement mode: Samples are available under specific NDAs. Cascode: Samples are available under specific
NDAs.