News: Microelectronics
16 March 2022
Transphorm and TDK-Lambda add 12V and 48V modules to GaN-based 500W AC-DC power supply family
Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for high-voltage power conversion — says that TDK-Lambda Corp (a group company of TDK), which makes power conversion products for industrial and medical equipment, has expanded its GaN-based PFH500F product line.
The PFH500F-12 and PFH500F-48 are the second and third modules in TDK’s series of 500W AC-DC power supply units (PSUs), offering 12V and 48V power outputs respectively. As with their predecessor, the GaN-based 28V PFH500F-28, these latest supplies deliver various GaN benefits to end applications including a 6% efficiency increase in a 13% smaller device package. Combined, these advantages yield a 38% power density improvement compared with the PFE500SA-12 and PFE500SA-48, TDK-Lambda’s incumbent silicon-based 12V and 48V modules.
The PFH500F series uses 72mΩ, 8x8 PQFN GaN FETs (TP65H070LDG) from Transphorm. The high power density of these power transistors enabled TDK to cool the GaN power supplies via thin baseplates. In turn, TDK was able to produce a leaner, tightly contained power module capable of supporting a wide variety of broad industrial applications operating in harsh environments. Such applications include commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) power supplies, custom fanless power supplies, 5G communication, laser, digital signage/displays, and signaling.
The 12V and 48V PFH500F modules were designed by the TDK-Lambda Americas team in Dallas, TX, USA and deploy a bridgeless totem-pole PFC (power factor correction) configuration. While the flagship 28V GaN power supply took about three-plus years to design, TDK’s engineering team was able to adapt its learning to produce these latest models in a year.
“TDK’s decision to launch the PFH500F product line as a GaN line was the result of carefully considering what our customers want and need,” says Jin He, VP of engineering at TDK-Lambda Americas. “And, what our customers require are reliable power systems for use in rugged applications that can’t afford to fail. By using Transphorm’s GaN, we are able to confidently deliver that in increasingly smaller, higher-performing PSUs that can also inspire end-system innovation.”
TDK-Lambda’s PFH500F-12 and PFH500F-48 power modules are said to deliver the following advantages compared with the silicon-based PFE500SA-12 and PFE500SA-48:
- power efficiency of 92% (a 6% percent increase);
- power density >100W/in3 (a 38% increase);
- PMBus monitoring and programming (read/write);
- board size reduction from 116.8mm x 61mm to 101.6mm x 61mm (a 13% reduction);
- reduced size of external capacitive components.
The PFH500F Series of modules is on display in Transphorm’s booth 825 at the 37th annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC 2022) in Houston, Texas (20-24 March).
