GaN-on-Si HEMT for mobile devices

Innoscience Technology, which was founded to pursue high performance, cost-effective Gallium Nitride on Silicon (GaN-on-Si) power ICs, has come up with a 40V bi-directional GaN-on-Si enhancement mode HEMT for mobile devices, including laptops and cellular phones.

The INN40W08 HEMT has been developed using the company’s InnoGaN technology which features ultra-low on resistance.

“ Innoscience now makes it possible to introduce GaN HEMTs into mobile phone handsets” says Innoscience’s Dr Denis Marcon.

Featuring a bi-directional blocking capability, the new INN40W08 GaN HEMTs have a ultra-low on resistance of just 7.8 mΩ.

This is achieved by the company’s InnoGaN patented strain enhancement layer technology which reduces sheet resistance by 66%.

Gate charge (QG) is typically 12.7nC. The 5×5 grid wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) measures 2×2 mm.

This footprint enables INN40W08 GaN HEMTs to be integrated inside mobile phones.

Applications include high side load switching, over-voltage protection in a smart phone’s USB port and multiple power supplies including chargers and adapters.

Innoscience’s GaN technology enables over-voltage-protection (OVP) systems by replacing 2 Silicon MOSFETs with 1 InnoGaN (or BiGaN) transistor.

This saves on the overall OVP costs and makes the OVP unit smaller, which is very important considering the space constraints on a mobile phone’s circuit board.

Innoscience has two fabs including a dedicated 8-inch GaN-on-Si site.

Currently the company has a capacity of 10,000 8-inch wafers per month which will ramp up to 14,000 8-inch wafers per month later this year and 70,000 8-inch wafers per month by 2025.

The company has a portfolio of 30 – 150V and 650V e-mode GaN-on-Si transistors.