News

10 September 2008

 

International Rectifier launches GaN-on-Si power device technology

Power semiconductor device maker International Rectifier Corp (IR) of El Segundo, CA, USA says that, after five years of R&D, it has developed a power device technology platform based on proprietary gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon epitaxy that can provide improvements in key application-specific figures of merit (FOM) of up to a factor of ten compared to state-of-the-art silicon-based technology platforms. This could boost performance and cut energy consumption in end applications in market segments such as computing and communications, automotive and appliances.

IR says that the portfolio of system solution products and related intellectual property extends beyond leading-edge discrete power devices by deploying its 60-year heritage in power conversion expertise in a wide variety of applications including AC-DC power conversion, DC-DC power conversion, motor drives, lighting, high density audio and automotive systems.

High-throughput 150mm GaN-on-Si epitaxy, together with device fabrication processes that are fully compatible with IR’s silicon manufacturing facilities, offers a commercially viable manufacturing platform for GaN-based power devices, the firm claims.

“We fully anticipate the potential impact of this new device technology platform on the power conversion market to be at least as large as the introduction of the power HEXFET by IR some 30 years ago,” says president and CEO Oleg Khaykin.

Over the next two weeks, International Rectifier is introducing the new GaN-based power device technology platform at industry events including the Digital Power Forum ’08 in San Francisco (15-17 September), the Embedded Power Conference 2008 in San Jose (17-18 September) and the International Workshop on Power Supply on A Chip in Cork, Ireland (22-24 September).

Prototypes of several new GaN-based product platforms will be available to leading OEM customers at the Electronica tradeshow in Munich, Germany (11-14 November).

“Early adopters will be those market segments and applications that will take full advantage of the revolutionary capability of transforming the value realization of the key features of power density, power conversion efficiency and cost,” says Khaykin.

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