GaN: Pushing the limits of power density & efficiency
Design faster, cooler systems with less energy and a smaller footprint
What is gallium nitride (GaN)?
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide bandgap semiconductor that enables higher power density and more efficiency than traditional silicon metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). GaN processes power more efficiently than silicon-only solutions, reducing power loss by 80% in power converters and minimizing the need for added cooling components. By packing more power into smaller spaces, GaN lets you design smaller, lighter systems.
The next revolution in power electronics is here
Revolutionize your high-voltage system with TI GaN. Watch how our GaN technology enables engineers to reduce time-to-market for high-voltage power conversion designs, while decreasing system cost and environmental impact.
Advantages of our GaN technology
Faster switching speeds, higher efficiency
Our GaN FETs with integrated drivers can reach switching speeds of 150V/ns. These switching speeds, combined with a low-inductance package, reduce losses, enable clean switching and minimize ringing.
Smaller system size, higher power density
Enabled by faster switching speeds, our GaN devices can help achieve higher switching frequencies over 500kHz, which results in up to 60% smaller magnetics, reduced system size and lower system cost.
Built for reliability
Our GaN devices are designed to keep high-voltage systems safe, thanks to a proprietary GaN-on-Si process, more than 80 million hours of reliability testing and protection features.
Dedicated design tools and resources
Shorten your time to market with our GaN design resources, including power loss calculators, PLECS models for circuit simulation and evaluation boards for testing and operation in larger systems.
Discover featured applications
Reach 80 Plus® Titanium standards with 96.5% total energy efficiency and over 100-W/in^3 power density with our GaN technology
Design telecom and server systems that support storage, cloud-based applications, central computing power and more using our GaN devices. To help meet your design requirements for energy efficiency, our designs can reach 80® Plus Titanium standards and enable power-factor correction (PFC) efficiencies over 99%.
Benefits
- >99% efficiency enabled by GaN in a totem-pole bridgeless PFC topology
- Switching frequencies >500 kHz in isolated DC/DC converters, resulting in decreased magnetics
- Integrated gate drivers reduce parasitic losses and make system-level design easier
Featured resources
- PMP23069 – 3-kW, 180-W/in3 single-phase totem-pole bridgeless PFC reference design with 16-A max input
- PMP23126 – 3-kW phase-shifted full bridge with active clamp reference design with > 270-W/in3 power density
- PMP40988 – Variable-frequency, ZVS, 5-kW, GaN-based, two-phase totem-pole PFC reference design
- LMG3422R030 – 600-V 30-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- LMG3422R050 – 600-V 50-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- LMG3411R150 – 600-V 150-mΩ GaN with integrated driver and cycle-by-cycle overcurrent protection
Achieve beyond 1.2-kW/L power density in bidirectional AC/DC power conversion systems with our GaN technology
Develop systems powered by solar and wind energy with our GaN devices, which help you design smaller, more efficient AC/DC inverters and rectifiers and DC/DC inverters. With GaN-enabled bidirectional DC/DC conversion, you can integrate energy storage systems into solar inverters, reducing energy dependency on the grid.
Benefits
- 3x higher power density (>1.2 kW/L) and lower weight than existing AC/DC and DC/DC converters.
- The fast-switching properties of GaN at 140 kHz increase 20% higher power density over SiC FETs
- System cost parity because of lower-cost magnetics versus 2-level SiC topology
Featured resources
- TIDA-010210 – 11-kW, bidirectional, three-phase ANPC based on GaN reference design
- LMG3422R030 – 600-V 30-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- LMG3522R030-Q1 – Automotive 650-V 30-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- LMG3422R050 – 600-V 50-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
Enable high power density in electric vehicles with our GaN technology
The next generation of single-phase AC, 400-V on-board chargers (OBCs) and high-to-low-voltage DC/DC converters in hybrid-electric (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV) are using GaN power devices to switch at higher frequencies and reduce the size of magnetics, translating to higher power density compared to silicon and SiC-based OBCs.
Benefits
- 3.8-kW/L power density, which means more power than SiC at the same volume
- >500-kHz switching frequency for CLLLC and 120-kHz for PFC
- 96.5% combined system-level efficiency
- Integrated gate driver simplifies system-level design
Featured resources
- LMG3522R030-Q1 – Automotive 650-V 30-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- GaN-Based, 6.6-kW, Bidirectional, Onboard Charger Reference Design – Test report
- Thermal Design and Performance of Top-Side Cooled QFN 12x12 Package – Application note
- POWERSTAGE-DESIGNER – Power Stage Designer™ software tool of most commonly used switchmode power supplies
Realize higher power efficiency and a smaller form factor in motor drives for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and appliances with our GaN devices
Efficient motor drives are essential for appliances and HVAC systems to meet stringent energy standards around the world. Our portfolios of GaN power stages and intelligent power modules (IPMs) have higher efficiency compared to IGBTs and MOSFETs, which reduces system size and cost.
Benefits
- Reduced switching losses results in motor drive power stages with efficiency >99%
- Small size, high integration and the ability to be cooled naturally reduce system size and cost
- Improved acoustics with higher switching frequencies up to 60kHz and lower dead time
Featured resources
- TIDA-010273 – 250W motor inverter reference design
- TIDA-010203 – 4-kW single-phase totem pole PFC reference design with C2000 and GaN
- TIDA-010236 – 4-kW GaN totem-pole PFC reference design for appliances
- DRV7308 – 650V, 205mΩ 3-phase integrated GaN intelligent power module (IPM) with protection and current sense
- LMG3422R030 – 600-V 30-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
- LMG3422R050 – 600-V 50-mΩ GaN FET with integrated driver, protection and temperature reporting
Develop AC/DC solutions that reduce size and achieve greater than 95% system efficiency, simplifying thermal design
Our integrated low-power GaN devices bring power density and efficiency benefits to applications that consumers use every day, such as mobile phone and laptop adapters, TV power supply units and USB wall outlets.
Benefits:
- >95% system efficiency
- Reduce consumer AC/DC solution sizes by as much as 50%
- Integrated current sensing allows for further efficiency and reduced printed circuit board size
Featured resources
- TIDA-050074 – 140-W GaN-based USB PD3.1 USB-C® adapter reference design
- TIDA-050072 – 65-W GaN-based USB PD3.0 USB-C adapter reference design
- PMP22244 – 60-W USB Type-C® high-density active clamp flyback with GaN reference design
- Maximize System Efficiency With Integrated Current Sensing From TI GaN – Application brief
- The benefits of low-power GaN in common AC/DC power topologies – Technical article
Customer success stories
See what our customers have to say about TI’s GaN technology and how it's helping them achieve smaller, more reliable and more efficient high-voltage designs.
Chicony Power
" GaN brings revolutionary changes to power supply designs. Its high-frequency switching characteristics and lower conduction impedance are the determining factors for improving the efficiency and reducing the size of power products, leading to significant reduction in energy consumption and materials used in power products and bringing new opportunities for Chicony Power's green design concepts."
- Yang Wang | Chicony Power, VP R&D
LITEON
"In the development of new generation high-end server power supplies, LITEON responded to the challenge with the best R&D team and the most advanced material technologies. LITEON has achieved an advanced lead and met the energy-saving requirements of data centers by utilizing TI’s GaN solutions."
- Todd Lee | LITEON Technology, RD Senior Director, Cloud Infrastructure Platform & Solution
Delta
"The application of GaN converges with Delta (Electronics') core expertise in high-efficiency power electronics to maximize power density, without giving up efficiency performance. At the end of the day, the GaN technology opens the door to a new world of products that have not been possible until now."
- Kai Dong | Delta Electronics, R&D Manager of Custom Design Business Unit
Discover featured products
Featured product categories
Design with GaN power stages
Our portfolio of GaN FETs with integrated driver and protection can help you achieve high power density with lifetime reliability and lower system cost than competing solutions.
Design with GaN intelligent power modules (IPMs)
Our portfolio of Gan IPMs help maximize power efficiency in high-voltage motor-drive applications.
Continue your high-voltage design
Designing efficient high-voltage power conversion systems is just one of many challenges of working on high-voltage applications. Head to our high-voltage technology page to learn more about our power conversion, current and voltage sensing, isolation, and real-time control technologies and discover the benefits of choosing TI for your next high-voltage design.