June/July 2021

OPINION 5 www.power-mag.com Issue 3 2021 Power Electronics Europe A ccording to Edoardo Merli’s APEC keynote physical limits prevent current Silicon technology from achieving the greater power density and miniaturization the market needs from power products to meet growing environmental concerns. As an alternative, wide- bandgap (WBG) power products are gaining traction in the market because of their energy efficiency and because they help address many of those environmental issues. For example, SiC and GaN WBG materials, which enable superior overall performance, are helping manufacturers attain remarkable gains in applications like traction inverter for SiC and adaptors/chargers for GaN. Still, Silicon products should co-exist with the WBG products owing to their cost-effectiveness in some low-power applications or whenever system performance is deemed adequate. The GaN power market doubled in 2020 according to market researcher Yole, highlighting the growth of smartphone fast chargers and leading the way for telecom and automotive markets. In the consumer market, GaN enjoyed a successful year in 2020 thanks to several companies, such as Xiaomi, Lenovo, Samsung, Realme, Dell and LG, as well as other Chinese aftermarket companies that adopted GaN technology. Yole expects the GaN consumer power supply market to be the main driver, as this market is forecast to grow from almost $29 million in 2020 to around $670 million in 2026 with a CAGR of 70 %. The adoption of GaN in the smartphone market is fueled by system compactness, high efficiency, and adapter multifunctionalities. Fast charging is likely to be the killer application for the GaN power device market. So far, at least 10 smartphones OEMs have launched more than 18 phones with an inbox GaN charger. This growth will continue in the aftermarket as well, with companies like Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung opting for an out-of-the-box charger solution. Power Integrations recently launched the InnoSwitch4-CZ family of high frequency, zero voltage switching (ZVS) flyback switcher ICs. InnoSwitch4-CZ devices incorporate a robust 750 V GaN primary switch and a novel high frequency active clamp flyback controller to facilitate a new class of ultra- compact chargers suitable for phones, tablets, and laptops. The first consumer devices based on InnoSwitch4-CZ devices were introduced earlier by Anker. The InnoSwitch4-CZ and ClampZero combination provides up to 95 % efficiency and maintains very high efficiency across variations in line voltage, system load and output voltage. According to Anker’s CEO, these outstanding levels of integration and efficiency are key to the Nano II series’ extremely compact design. In the telecom & datacom market, which requires more efficient, smaller power supply amidst tighter regulations for energy consumption, datacenter & telecom operators are already interested in GaN devices. Following the first small-volume adoption of GaN-based power supplies by Eltek, Delta, and BelPower in recent years, Yole expects a larger penetration of GaN, with a market valued at $9 million in 2020 and a CAGR 2020- 2026 of 70 %, reaching more than $220 million in 2026. The automotive & mobility market is also paying lots of attention to GaN, following big incentives for the electrification of cars and the interest in increasing driving range through system efficiency optimization. Players such as EPC, Transphorm, GaN Systems, Texas Instruments and Nexperia are AEC qualified. The major IDM STMicroelectronics, through partnership and acquisition, is also targeting GaN for EVs. Starting from 2022, GaN is expected to penetrate in small volumes in applications such as OBC and DC/DC converters. Achieving operating voltages higher than 650 V has been challenged by the difficulty of growing thick-enough GaN buffer layers on 200 mm wafers. Therefore, SiC so far remains the semiconductor of choice for 650-1200 V applications – including electric cars and renewable energy. Now Belgium-based imec and Germany-based AIXTRON have demonstrated epitaxial growth of GaN buffer layers qualified for 1200 V applications on 200 mm substrates with a hard breakdown exceeding 1800 V. According to imec, GaN can now become the technology of choice for a whole range of operating voltages from 20 V to 1200 V. Being processable on larger wafers in high-throughput CMOS fabs, power technology based on GaN offers a significant cost advantage compared to the intrinsically expensive SiC-based technology. Since PEE’s start in 1999 we have promoted new technologies such as WBGs and were convinced on their future. Thus examples of WBG achievements and applications can be found throughout this issue, particularly in the PCIM and APEC reports as well as in cover story. Enjoy reading Achim Scharf PEE Editor The WBG Train Accelerates