With the increasing attention to environmental protection and energy efficiency in society, gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology is becoming the focus of leading technology. Although it is still in its early stages, its revolutionary potential foreshadows the future of the power system field.

As a top global semiconductor solution supplier, ROHM Corporation is committed to continuously improving its product performance and reliability. Not only does Rom invest in the research and development of electronic components, but he also actively establishes strategic relationships with industry partners, jointly promotes technological innovation, and aims to solve the problems faced by society.

On July 19, 2023, at a media exchange conference held in Shenzhen, Zhou Jin, Deputy General Manager of the Technology Center of ROHM Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., shared the latest product: EcoGaN™ Power Stage IC “BM3G0xxMUV-LB” with non online journalists. At the same time, he also deeply analyzed the advantages of GaN technology, as well as how ROHM can use these advantages to create more efficient and smaller power solutions, and looked forward to the future development prospects of GaN.

Gallium nitride: enormous potential for next-generation power semiconductors

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a third-generation semiconductor material that, compared to silicon, has significantly better bandgap width, breakdown field strength, and electron saturation speed, especially in high-frequency and high-speed switching states. Due to its excellent electronic mobility, high electric field strength, and excellent thermal conductivity, it has been applied in LED and power electronic devices. It is worth mentioning that GaN has enormous potential in power conversion, as it can operate at higher frequencies and voltages, generating less heat compared to traditional silicon-based semiconductors. Due to its higher efficiency, GaN technology can reduce the power consumption of power systems, thereby reducing the load on the power grid. This is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change.

Compared to silicon carbide, gallium nitride is more prominent in applications at medium power and voltage levels, with a higher frequency. Its main application areas are fast charging and small laptops. In the future, it may be extended to applications such as in car OBCs, power sources in data centers, and distributed power sources.

The development of the gallium nitride device market, starting from 2020, has expanded from the fast charging field of PCs and mobile phones. With the popularization of 5G and PD adapters, market demand has increased, and silicon-based devices can no longer meet the demand. Therefore, large semiconductor companies have begun to develop gallium nitride products. With the increasing application of electric vehicles and industrial systems, it is expected that the gallium nitride market will have significant growth after 2025.

At present, gallium nitride devices are widely used in the field of fast charging. Compared to silicon devices, gallium nitride devices have smaller volumes and lower unit power prices, and are mainly used in small volume, high cost performance products. As the price of gallium nitride devices decreases and technology matures, its market share is expected to further expand.

Although GaN semiconductor technology is still in its early stages, it has attracted the attention of a large number of companies. EcoGaN ™ By leveraging the performance of GaN to a greater extent, it helps to further save energy and miniaturize application products. This series of products helps to further reduce power consumption, achieve miniaturization of peripheral components, reduce design time and the number of components.

ROHM's Gallium Nitride Solution: Changing the Game Rules of Power Management

ROHM Corporation has been developing GaN related products since 2006 and launched GaN device technology capable of withstanding 150V in 2021. This is an important milestone, as it means that ROHM's GaN technology has reached a new level. In April 2023, ROHM began mass production of 650V voltage resistant products. In future development, ROHM will continue to improve its driving and control technologies, and plans to launch a series of new products in 2024.

ROHM recently launched two 650V EcoGaN™ Products - BM3G007MUV-LB and BM3G015MUV-LB - are both new products that have received much attention from the industry. Both products have a size of 8 x 8mm and a thickness of only 1mm, using VQFN packaging. They can not only achieve driving voltage similar to DC-DC controllers, but also greatly shorten the startup time, with a transmission delay of only 11 nanoseconds to 15 nanoseconds. This is due to the high-speed characteristics of GaN itself. The conduction resistances of these two products are 70 milliohms and 150 milliohms respectively, giving them significant advantages in switching losses and device volume.

The advantages of Using EcoGaN ™ Power Stage IC

In addition, ROHM's GaN technology can significantly reduce power consumption. In some applications where conduction loss has a minor impact on performance, the power consumption of Rohm's GaN devices can even be reduced by 55% compared to Si MOSFET monomers. This is a huge advantage for devices that require high power and long-term operation. In addition, ROHM's GaN technology can also support various primary power supply circuits, with a wide driving range and short startup time, which can be applied in various AC-DC circuits. This makes ROHM's GaN devices more widely applicable in the fields of power conversion and management.

While developing these high-performance devices, ROHM is also committed to simplifying the design and manufacturing process. Its GaN product only requires one external device, greatly simplifying the design of peripheral circuits. This not only reduces the design difficulty, but also makes ROHM's GaN devices more suitable for miniaturized applications. At the same time, ROHM has also added EMI control inside the chip to optimize the driving waveform, improve the stability and reliability of the equipment.

Gallium Nitride Power Stage IC: A New Noble to Overthrow Traditional Power Systems

The advantages and characteristics of ROHM's new generation GaN products are obvious. These new products not only have superior performance, but also demonstrate significant improvements in design and manufacturing.

Overall, ROHM's GaN solution is a significant breakthrough in the field of power systems. They can not only improve the efficiency and reliability of equipment, but also help simplify the design and manufacturing of systems. We have reason to believe that with the continuous progress of technology and the growing market demand, the future of gallium nitride will be bright. In the long run, we can expect GaN technology to play an important role in a wider range of applications, such as more efficient power management, more environmentally friendly energy utilization, smaller electronic devices, and so on. We look forward to ROHM, as a leader in gallium nitride technology, continuing to lead the development of this field, launching more innovative products to meet market demand.