New Industry Products

GaN Transistors rated for 600V handle up to 15A

March 17, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Inc. has extended its line of GaN power transistors with two new devices, the PGA26E19BV rated for 600V and 10A and the PGA26E08BV rated for 600V and 15A. These normally-off power switches are offered in an 8mm square 1.25mm thick package for high-density applications. They are fabricated on Panasonic's 6-inch GaN-on-silicon process. Applications are expected to include ac-dc power supplies, battery chargers and inverters for motor drives and photovoltaic installations.

The PGA26E19BV has an RDS(on) rating of 154 milliohms while the on-resistance of the PGA26E08BV is rated at 54 milliohms. Both devices have gate threshold voltages of 1.2V and they operate up to a 150 degrees C junction temperature. Other specifications of the PGA26E19BV and PGA26E08BV, respectively, include: Ciss of 153 pF and 419 pF; Coss of 76 pF and 218 pF; Crss of 14 pF and 40 pF; Qgs of 0.7 nC and 1.0 nC; and Qdg of 2.5 nC and 5.5 nC.

“The GIT GaN power switches demonstrate many characteristics that are superior over conventional Si power devices including: Simultaneity of low on resistance and high breakdown voltage GaN switches have ten time higher breakdown field strength and more than twice the saturation velocity of silicon devices. These characteristics are greatly desired for a power device that needs high breakdown voltage and low on-resistance. With only electron migration, the on resistance has a positive temperature coefficient similar to Si Power MOSFET. Thus, the current concentration leading to secondary breakdown suffered in IGBT does not occur,” stated Howard Sin, Principal Engineer with Panasonic.

“RonQg which is the figure of merit for high speed switching, the GIT GaN exhibits one-thirteenth lower than the best in class Si Power MOSFET. The switching characteristic of GIT GaN is much faster for its low gate charge. Moreover, since there is no accumulation of minority carrier on gate during turn-off and the recombination current does not flow to gate, tail current that flows in conventional IGBTs does not happen” Sin added.