In recent years —due to the growing demand for server systems in response to the increasing number of IoT devices— improvements in energy conversion efficiency and size reduction have become important societal issues requiring new advances in the power device sector.
Since GaN devices generally offer superior switching characteristics and lower conduction resistance than silicon devices, they are expected to contribute to reducing the power consumption of different power supplies and to further miniaturization of peripheral components.
In addition to mass-producing industry-leading SiC devices and multi-function silicon devices, ROHM has developed GaN devices that offer superior high-frequency operation in the medium-voltage range, enabling us to provide power solutions for a wider variety of applications.
These new products utilize an original design that raises the nominal gate-source voltage from the conventional 6V to 8V. As a result, degradation is prevented, even if overshoot voltages exceeding 6V occur during switching, thus improving design margin and increasing the reliability of power supply circuits. The GNE10xxTB series is offered in a highly versatile package that provides superior heat dissipation and high current capacity, facilitating handling during assembly.
ROHM has registered its GaN devices, which contribute to greater energy conservation and miniaturization, under the name EcoGaN™, and is working to expand the range with performance-enhancing devices. In the future, ROHM will continue to develop integrated control circuits that leverage analog power supply technology, such as Nano Pulse Control™, and modules incorporating these integrated circuits, along with power solutions that contribute to a sustainable society by maximizing the performance of GaN devices.
Professor Masayoshi Yamamoto, School of Graduate Studies in Engineering, Nagoya University.
This year, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has set a target of 30% energy savings for new data centers by 2030—less than 10 years away. However, these systems must not only be energy-efficient but also resilient and stable, as they have become a vital part of our social infrastructure.
In response to this situation, ROHM has developed a new GaN device that provides an industry-leading 8V non-disruptive gate voltage, delivering a high degree of endurance and stability while achieving superior energy savings. Building on these products, ROHM will continue to improve power supply efficiency by combining them with its patented Nano Pulse Control™ analog power supply technology, creating a significant technological trend that will help the semiconductor and telecommunications industries achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
What is EcoGaN™?
EcoGaN™ refers to GaN devices that contribute to energy conservation and miniaturization by maximizing GaN's low conduction resistance and high-speed switching characteristics. The goal is to reduce application power consumption, miniaturize peripheral components, and decrease design burden and the number of parts required.
*EcoGaN™ is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.
Application examples (Fig. 4)
• 48 V input buck converter circuits for data centers and base stations
• Boost converter circuits for the power amplifier block of base stations
• LiDAR drive circuits and wireless charging circuits for portable devices
• Class D audio amplifiers
Sample circuits
Product range
