UK-based fabless semiconductor company Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) and French public research and training organization IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) have developed a demonstration that confirms the suitability of CGD’s ICeGaN650 V gallium nitride (GaN) integrated circuits (ICs) in a multi-level, 800 VDC inverter.

The demo delivers high power density of 30 kW/l, which is greater than can be achieved by more expensive silicon-carbide (SiC)-based devices, according to CGD, and shows that ICeGaN technology enables the inverters to be easily used in parallel. Each inverter node has three 25 mΩ / 650 V ICeGaN ICs—for a total of 36 devices—in parallel.

The multi-level inverters can power electric motors to over 100 kW peak and 75 kW continuous power. The demo features a high voltage input of up to 800 VDC, three-phase output, a peak current of 125 Arms (10s) (180 Apk) and a continuous current of 85 Arms continuous (120 Apk).

The ICeGaN multi-level design proposed by IFPEN enables increased efficiency, higher switching frequencies, reduced electromagnetic interference, enhanced thermal management and modular design.

“Following the implementation of this inverter reference using CGD’s enabling ICeGaN ICs coupled with innovative topologies, such as multi-level solutions, IFPEN now strongly believes that GaN is a breakthrough technology in terms of performance and cost for high-voltage traction inverters,” said Gaetano de Paola, Program Manager at IFPEN.

Source: Cambridge GaN Devices