Nexperia Bolsters Wide Bandgap Lineup With GaN and SiC MOSFETs

As power electronics designers have strived for greater efficiency and reliability in their designs, the industry has seen a huge rise in the presence of wide bandgap semiconductors. Compared to conventional silicon power electronics, wide bandgap materials like gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) promise a more sustainable and performant future.

SiC MOSFETs are used in electric vehicle charging equipment. Image used courtesy of Nexperia

Following this trend, Nexperia has announced two notable developments that further their foray into the wide bandgap semiconductor world. EEPower had the chance to discuss both developments with members of the Nexperia team to learn more about their direction firsthand.

Nexperia Upgrades GaN FET Devices

The most recent move from Nexperia is the release of upgrades to its GaN FET devices.

Specifically, Nexperia has made its next-generation high-voltage GaN HEMT H2 technology available in its proprietary CCPAK surface mount packaging. A notable aspect of the packaging technology is the integration of copper clips to replace internal bond wires. 

Carlos Castro, vice president and general manager of GaN at Nexperia, told EEPower, “Copper clips provide lower inductance, lower thermal resistance, and more thermal mass than bond wires.” 

The result is reduced parasitic losses for improved performance and device reliability. 

The first offering in the group will be the GAN039-650NTB, a 33 mΩ, 650V GaN FET within the CCPAK1212i top-side cooling package. This will be later followed by the GAN039-650NTB, which leverages a cascode configuration to improve switching and on-state performance. Nexperia said they believe their new technology can help shrink die size by 24% while also attaining efficiency and threshold voltage gains.

Nexperia’s GaN devices in a CCPAK package. Image used courtesy of Nexperia

“GaN devices open the design space for engineers working on industrial and green energy systems, in that system optimization can extend to higher switching frequencies and lower losses,” Castro explained. “Engineers can achieve higher efficiency than ever before, or alternatively, for the same efficiency, decrease the system size dramatically.” 

With this in mind, the company anticipates that its technology will benefit a wide range of applications, from solar and residential heat pumps to industrial applications like servo drives and switched-mode power supplies. 

Nexperia's Entry Into the SiC MOSFET Market

In another development, Nexperia is venturing into the SiC market with its first silicon carbide MOSFETs. 

Specifically, the company has developed two SiC FETs in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric. These products, the NSF040120L3A0 and NSF080120L3A0, are 1200 V devices in 3-pin TO-247 packages. The major difference is that the former offers an RDS(on) of 80 mΩ while the latter offers an improved 40 mΩ solution. 

The SiC MOSFETs exhibit industry-leading temperature stability, low body diode forward voltage, and a positive temperature coefficient, making them suitable for demanding power conversion applications. These developments indicate Nexperia's strategic decision to offer diverse solutions, catering to varying customer needs across the semiconductor industry.

The company designed these SiC MOSFETs to meet the demand for high-performance devices in applications such as electric vehicle charging piles, uninterruptible power supplies, and inverters for solar and energy storage systems. 

Katrin Feurle, senior director and head of product group SiC Diodes & FETs, explained to EEPower, “Nexperia’s first SiC MOSFETs will raise the bar for safe, robust, and reliable power switching in industrial applications. Beyond this, we have a roadmap that is leading to, but not ending with automotive-grade MOSFETs. This portfolio is closely aligned with our key customers from the industrial and automotive sectors.”

A Wide Bandgap Future

Nexperia's announcements regarding GaN FETs and SiC MOSFETs signify a clear focus on wide bandgap semiconductors for the company’s future. Feurle stated that Nexperia will continue to develop high-voltage power devices such as recovery rectifiers, HV MOSFETs, and IGBTs. He said the company’s goal is to balance cost, supply, and performance suited to the needs of each application.