Next-Gen Power Electronic Products Debut at PCIM Europe 2026

Major companies in power electronics unveiled their latest innovations at PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, last week. The show displayed the latest next-generation silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) modules to boost efficiency in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, semiconductors, advanced automated testing platforms, and high-precision power supplies. Here are some highlights.

Infineon at PCIM 2026. Image used courtesy of Infineon/LinkedIn

Infineon Introduces EiceDRIVER Gate Drivers

Infineon Technologies launched its EiceDRIVER gate drivers for battery-electric vehicle traction inverters. The technology aims to provide precise control and high efficiency for automotive power electronics systems. The gate drivers help manage power distribution more effectively within vehicles.

The EiceDRIVER 1EDI3040AS. Image used courtesy of Infineon

The EiceDRIVER 1EDI3040AS and 1EDI3041AS support IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs, integrating these features into a single gate-drive IC. They feature real-time gate current adjustment to balance switching speeds against EMI and precise control over switching transitions to reduce turn-on and turn-off energy dissipation. The IC manages the turn-off current change rate to clamp destructive voltage spikes caused by stray inductances without requiring heavy external snubber circuits.

Mitsubishi Electric and Semikron Danfoss Standardize Power Modules

Mitsubishi Electric and Semikron Danfoss have developed a standard power module package using integrated 3-level T-type circuit topologies to optimize industrial drive and renewable energy inverter designs. The package combines Mitsubishi Electric's high-power LV100 layout and Semikron Danfoss's SEMITRANS20 geometry, establishing physical product compatibility that allows manufacturers to unify and standardize their physical inverter architectures.

The LV100-type standard package with integrated 3-level circuit. Image used courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric

The module implements a 3-level circuit topology, switching direct current across three distinct potential levels to produce an output waveform tracking closer to a pure sine wave. This electrical design improves conversion efficiency and minimizes power losses while decreasing the physical size requirements of peripheral filtering and control components. The package optimizes the physical terminal configuration, strategically separating the main high-current electrode terminals from the low-power auxiliary control lines to maximize mechanical design flexibility.

Fraunhofer IAF Releases Bidirectional, Single-Phase DC Converter for EVs

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF developed a compact, bidirectional single-phase DC charging converter for electric vehicles utilizing monolithic 1200 V GaN power devices. Operating at a high switching frequency of 140 kHz, the system minimizes the volume of passive filtering components, bringing the total demonstrator down to 8.3 liters in size and 5.7 kg in weight, including plugs.

Demonstrator for bidirectional single-phase 3-kW DC charger with GaN power electronics. Image used courtesy of Fraunhofer IAF

The architecture directly integrates free-wheeling diodes on the 1200 V GaN chips to eliminate standard external antiparallel diodes and restrict stray loop inductance. Developed within the GaN4EmoBiL project to fill a gap in 800 V bidirectional topologies, the 3 kW off-board charger handles wide-ranging battery voltages spanning 150 V to 920 V.

Wolfspeed Launches Gen 5 Silicon Carbide Technology

Wolfspeed introduced its Gen 5 Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET technology for 1200 V and 750 V automotive and industrial applications, delivering up to a 27% specific on-resistance (RSP) reduction over current commercial 1200 V alternatives. Operating at 175°C, the 1200 V node (QEM50120-25D10) achieves a chip-level RSP of 3.4 mΩ-cm², while the 750 V node (QEM50075-025D10) achieves 2.0 mΩ-cm². The technology limits production variation to an ultra-low +/- 18% RDS(ON) distribution across both voltage nodes.

1200 V performance trend of chip R_SP (total area) at 175°C. Image used courtesy of Wolfspeed

The architecture expands device thermal limits with an improved continuous junction temperature rating of 200°C and a limited-life peak rating of 215°C. Fabricated on a 200 mm manufacturing platform, the device retains the soft-body diode structure of the previous generation while reducing overall switching losses by improving reverse-recovery charge.

EPC Enters Mass Production With 25V eGaN Transistor

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) announced the mass production of its EPC2378 25 V eGaN power transistor, optimized for synchronous rectifier applications on the secondary side of 48 V-5 V or 12 V LLC converters. The transistor is designed for high-density applications such as AI infrastructure and data centers.

The device delivers a best-in-class typical RDS_on of 410 µΩ, along with a low gate charge figure of merit to maximize high-frequency switching efficiency. It handles continuous drain currents up to 101 A and is housed in a compact 3.3 mm x 3.3 mm PQFN package equipped with a backside thermal pad for enhanced heat dissipation.

To accelerate system evaluation, EPC released the companion EPC90185 development board. The board integrates two EPC2378 transistors configured with a half-bridge gate driver, input capacitors, a dead-time generation circuit, high-current connectors, and dedicated sense points.

Onsemi Debuts GaNEXUS GaN Power Portfolio

Onsemi launched its GaNEXUS GaN power portfolio, initially sampling discrete components spanning a wide breakdown voltage range of 40 V to 650 V. The lineup features 650 V GaNEXUS Smart devices with integrated protection circuitry to optimize layout complexity. Tailored for AI data center infrastructure and industrial power architectures, the portfolio delivers a 0.5% to 2% efficiency improvement and a 1.5x to 2x increase in volumetric power density depending on specific circuit topologies.

The GaN devices are aimed at AI data centers, robotics, and energy infrastructure. Image used courtesy of Onsemi

The high switching speeds permit a 30% to 60% reduction in magnetic components size. To target varied thermal requirements, the components utilize specialized TOLL, TOLT, and dual cooling packages, designed to interface with the company's Treo control platform.