News: Microelectronics
2 March 2026
EPC highlights Gen 7 GaN for AI infrastructure and GaN ICs for robotics at APEC
At the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC 2026) in San Antonio, TX, USA (22–26 March), Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA — which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications — is showcasing its latest generation GaN technology for AI infrastructure and robotics, highlighting how Gen 7 GaN and highly integrated GaN ICs enable scalable deployment in high-density computing and next-generation robotic systems, moving beyond demonstration platforms toward production-ready power architectures. In booth #1935, EPC engineers are hosting a series of technical presentations covering system architectures, reliability methodologies and application implementations.
The rapid expansion of AI computing is driving a fundamental redesign of power delivery, introducing 800V distribution and megawatt-class racks that demand higher efficiency, density and reliability across the entire conversion chain, notes EPC. At the same time, humanoid robotics require electronics to be embedded directly inside joints and actuators, where size, weight and efficiency become primary constraints. EPC is demonstrating how GaN technology addresses both challenges: bringing conversion closer to the point-of-load in data centers while enabling compact motor drives and integrated power stages in robotic systems.
To support customer development, EPC is showcasing a range of available reference platforms including motor drive inverters, humanoid joint controllers, multi-device power stages and high-density DC–DC conversion boards. Examples include the EPC9176 and EPC91104 motor drive boards, the EPC9186 multi-device inverter, humanoid joint platforms EPC91118 and EPC91120, and power conversion solutions such as the EPC91200, EPC9196 and EPC9193 series. These designs illustrate real implementation paths already used in customer programs across robotics, drones and high-performance computing. Reference designs are being presented as development tools supporting adoption, while the focus remains on production-ready devices enabled by the company’s Gen 7 platform.
“EPC has moved the state of the art forward this past year with our breakthrough Generation 7 transistors that outperform MOSFETs in the range of 40V to 15V for the first time,” reckons CEO Alex Lidow. “Our new GaN integrated circuits enable more compact and higher-performance motor drives for humanoid robots and drones – also outperforming MOSFETs by a wide margin,” he adds.
EPC’s technical experts, including Lidow, are on-site at APEC to discuss how GaN is enabling innovation across AI infrastructure, robotics and high-density power systems.
LIVE technical presentations at booth #1935
- 24 March (10:30–11:10am): CEO Alex Lidow is presenting ‘GaN Beats MOSFETs at All Voltages’, followed by Shengke Zhang, VP of product reliability, discussing ‘Leveraging Test-to-Fail Methodology to Ensure Reliable Field Operation of GaN Devices’;
- 24 March (2:30–3:10pm): Marco Palma, director, motor drives systems and applications, is presenting ‘GaN Inverters Reference Designs for Humanoid Robot Motor Joints’, followed by Michael de Rooij, GaN applications fellow, discussing ‘800V to 12V AI Servers Using Low-Voltage GaN in an ISOP Converter’.
Conference presentations
- ‘End-to-End With GaN from EPC’ by CEO Alex Lidow on 24 March (1:30pm, room 217B – Exhibitor Seminar);
- ‘Reliability Investigation of p-GaN Gates in GaN HEMTs Under Dynamic Switching Conditions’ by test engineer Angel E. Espinoza on 24 March (9:30–9:50am, room 214D – Technical Session T04 GaN Devices);
- ‘ISOP LLC Converter with Integrated Magnetics for Server Power Supplies’ by Alejandro Pozo, director of applications engineering, on 24 March (11:40–12:00pm, room 214C – Technical Session T03 Data Centers);
- ‘A Novel Three-Phase Power Micro-Module for Robotic Hands’ by Marco Palma on 25 March (9:20–9:45am, room 206 – PSMA Session IS07.3);
- ‘Compact GaN-Based 5kW Four-Level Totem-Pole PFC Converter’ by Marco Palma on 25 March (3:40–4:05pm, room 207 – Industrial Session IS16.5);
- ‘Mission Profile-Driven Reliability Assessment of Leading-Edge GaN for AI Data Center Applications’ by Shengke Zhang, VP of product reliability, on 26 March (8:20–8:45am, room 210 – PSMA Session IS23 ‘Reliability: From Stress to Strength’).
EPC adds 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter evaluation board for humanoid robot joint applications
EPC launches 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter for robot joints and UAVs
EPC launches first GaN-based motor drive reference design for humanoid robot joints and UAVs
