Gallium Nitride next-generation semiconductors will “Electrify Our World™” with energy-saving data centers, high-efficiency solar inverters and acceleration of EV adoption.
PVTIME – On December 15, Navitas Semiconductor (Nasdaq: NVTS), the industry-leader in gallium nitride (GaN) power integrated circuits (ICs) announced that high-power GaN power IC samples are now available for the first time to data center, solar and electric vehicle (EV) customers worldwide.
Navitas GaNFast™ ICs were first introduced to mobile customers three years ago and have become a mainstream, disruptive force in those markets, enabling unprecedented high-efficiency and ultra-fast charging of mobile devices with ultra-lightweight and miniaturized form factors. Now, for the first time, this break-through GaN power IC technology – the only GaN semiconductor platform to monolithically integrate drive, control, protection and power – is available to applications that operate in the 2kW to 20kW power range, which includes data centers, solar inverters and electric vehicle power electronics. This development is foundational in the upgrade from legacy silicon to next-generation GaN semiconductors to “Electrify Our World” and transition from fossil fuels to clean electric applications, and impact up to 2.6Gtons/year of CO2 emissions by 2050.
GaN is a next-generation semiconductor technology that runs up to 20x faster than legacy silicon and enables up to 3x more power, 40% energy savings and 3x faster charging in half the size and weight. Navitas’ GaNFast™ power ICs integrate GaN power and drive plus protection and control to deliver simple, small, fast and efficient performance. The new products are optimized for each of the high-power markets, with feature, function and power upgrades to become true GaNFast application-specific integrated circuits.
“The Navitas Engineering teams have delivered on-time again, with high-performance GaN power ICs that drive our market expansions,” said Gene Sheridan, co-founder and CEO. “This is another successful step along the path we outlined in our financial roadmap to investors, expanding from our #1 position in the 20W to 300W mobile fast charger market, into high-power 2kW to 20kW-plus applications.”
The new products are power-upgraded, thermally-enhanced versions of the proven 650/800V GaNFast platform, with over 30 million units shipped and zero reported field failures. Navitas’ unique, proprietary GaNFast integration technology has built-in, fast and accurate protection against over-temp, over-current and ESD protection.
High-power customers have provided ringing endorsements of GaN and Navitas’ integrated approach, including:
Compuware in data center: “GaN is a breakthrough new technology. Navitas [is an] excellent partner, with industry-leading GaN ICs.” Navitas recently announced a dedicated data center design center in Hangzhou, and estimates a data center upgrade from silicon to GaN would deliver up to 40% energy savings and save the industry up to $1.9B/yr in electricity costs compared to typical legacy silicon solutions.
Enphase Energy in solar: “It’s the end of the road for silicon. GaN offers >10x frequency, and significant cost advantages.” Navitas estimates that GaN power ICs enable a 25% cost reduction of micro-inverters, with up to 40% energy savings, resulting in an improved installation cost payback of over 10% compared to silicon.
Brusa in EV: “Navitas advantages are simplicity of driving, high-speed, reliability & compact form factor.” Navitas estimates that GaNFast products deliver 3x faster charging and 70% energy savings which enables 5% longer range or 5% lower battery cost. GaN adoption could accelerate worldwide EV adoption by up to 3 years and drive a 20% reduction in road-sector CO2 emissions by 2050.
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