Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor manufacturer VisIC Technologies plans to team up with automotive powertrain maker Hofer Powertrain to develop a 3-Level 800 V GaN inverter for EVs.

Hofer brings over 5 years of experience developing a 3-Level inverter to the table. The company says that, compared to 2-level inverters with IGBTs or SiC chips, its 3-Level inverter provides better overall system energy consumption, a reduction in drive unit noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and decreased costs for complying with electromagnetic compatibility requirements such as the Comité International Spécial des Perturbations Radioélectriques 25 class 5 rule.

“VisIC’s D³GaN technology was developed for the high-reliability standards of the automotive industry, and offers the lowest losses per RDS,” says VisIC CEO Tamara Baksht. VisIC also says its GaN semiconductors improve the efficiency, range, and switching speed of EVs while shrinking the size of the inverter and lowering the total system cost.

Source: VisIC