Nexperia’s power GaN FET range is available from Farnell

Distributor Farnell is now shipping Nexperia’s power GaN FETs. The FETs can be used in hard switching for AC-DC totem pole power factor correction (PFC) applications, LLC phase shift full-bridge (resonant or fixed frequency) for soft-switching applications, as well as all DC-AC inverter topologies and AC-AC matrix converters using bidirectional switches.

GaN FETs provide low RDS(on) and fast switching, together with Low Vf and low Qrr, says Farnell, an Avnet company. They are also rugged and deliver stable switching with a rugged gate bounce immunity, making them suitable for reduced power loss applications in electric vehicles (EVs), 5G equipment and IoT devices.

The distributor says that the introduction of the range is timely as the FETs provide density and efficient power usage in a small form factor, and helps engineers meet legislation and the growing need to reduce Co2 emissions as the industry moves to efficient power conversion and increased electrification.

GaN technology overcomes limitations of technologies, such as silicon-based IGBTs and SiC, in power conversion, says Farnell. In EVs in particularly, GaN reduces power losses that can impact the range of a vehicle. Increased efficiency in power conversion also reduces the need for cooling systems to dissipate generated heat, reducing the vehicle’s weight and system complexity, benefitting range or allowing for the same range from a smaller battery. There are also applications, points out Farnell, for power GaN FETs in data centres, telecoms infrastructure and industrial applications.

Farnell is hosting a free-to-register webinar on Power GaN technology on 16th September 2020 at 2pm BST. The webinar will provide an overview of Nexperia’s cascode technology, the benefits of hard and soft switching topologies and include a 4kW totem pole PFC case study.