US-based power semiconductor company Navitas has released 650 V bidirectional GaNFast integrated circuits (ICs) and high-speed isolated gate drivers for single-stage bidirectional switch (BDS) converters for applications such as roadside and onboard EV chargers and motor drives.

The bidirectional GaNFast plus new IsoFast drivers enable advanced single-stage topologies to further enhance efficiency, power density, and performance in AC-DC and AC-AC conversion.

Previously, two discrete, back-to-back single switches were used, but bidirectional GaNFast consolidates the two stages into a single, high-speed, high-efficiency stage, eliminating bulky capacitors and input inductors.

The ICs are leading-edge, single-chip designs (monolithic integration). They have a merged drain structure, two gate controls and an integrated, active substrate clamp. One high-speed, high-efficiency bidirectional GaNFast IC replaces up to four older switches, increasing system performance while reducing component count, PCB area and system costs, according to the company.

The initial 650 V ICs include NV6427 (100 mΩ RSS(ON) typ.) and NV6428 (50 mΩ RSS(ON) typ) in thermally enhanced, top-side-cooled TOLT-16L (Transistor Outline Leaded Topside-cooled) packaging. The product family will be extended into lower RSS(ON) offerings in the future.

The devices are galvanically isolated, high-speed drivers optimized to drive bidirectional GaN. They deliver four times higher transient immunity than existing drivers up to 200 V/ns and need no external negative bias supply for reliable, fast, accurate power control in high-voltage systems. Initial parts are the NV1702 dual, independent-channel, digital, isolated bi-directional GaN gate driver and the NV1701 half-bridge GaN digital isolator in SOIC-16N and SOIC-14W packages.

“These ICs not only deliver improved efficiency, power density, simplicity and system costs,” Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas commented. “The future of our electrified planet is bi-directional energy flow. Single-stage BDS converters are the key for this inflection.”

Source: Navitas Semiconductor