Trade shows like the Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion (PCIM) event in Nuremberg every spring are good ways to get a snapshot of the state-of-the-art solutions available to the marketplace. The adoption of wide-bandgap semiconductors in the power industry is continuing to grow and develop, with the introduction of a wide array of both GaN- and SiC-based power solutions.

At PCIM we were able to talk with GaN Systems’ CEO Jim Witham, who told us about the various devices and products at their booth, as well as the state of the industry from his perspective. Jim pointed out how the PCIM show differs from the U.S.-based Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), in the focus of each show, and the predominant application spaces addressed.

The company recently released the GS-065 family of low-current (3.5A to 11A) transistors, developed for sub-1kW power applications. This new transistor line leverages GaN Systems’ 650 V enhancement mode GaN HEMT technology, and are packaged in thermally efficient, low-cost PDFN packages with a 5.0 x 6.0 mm footprint. The specific device ratings are 3.5 A, 8 A, and 11 A, ranging in RDS(on) ratings from 500 mΩ to 150 mΩ.