Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound semiconductor that has a wurtzite crystal structure. It is a very hard material that has a high electric field breakdown threshold and a wide direct bandgap of 3.4 electronvolts. GaN was first investigated in the 1930s but it wasn't until the late 1980s and early 1990s when high-quality GaN materials started being grown due to advancements in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques. This allowed for the demonstration of the first GaN based blue and green light emitting diodes (LEDs).
Advantages of GaN Over Silicon
GaN has several advantages when compared to traditional silicon-based semiconductors that make it well suited for high-power and high-frequency applications. GaN has a wide bandgap which allows it to conduct electricity with fewer losses. It can operate at much higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies than silicon. The wide bandgap also means GaN devices have lower leakage current which results in higher efficiencies. The material is able to handle large electrical fields which allows the creation of thinner conducting layers for advanced transistor designs. Additionally, GaN has higher drift velocity which improves switching performance. All of these properties make gallium nitride an excellent choice for applications like power supplies, variable speed motors, fast phone chargers, 5G communications and electric vehicles.
Growth of the GaN Power Electronics Market
Initially GaN Semiconductor saw adoption in niche RF and lighting markets but in the past decade it has become established in power electronics. The first important commercial GaN devices were RF power amplifiers used in wireless infrastructure like cell towers in the early 2000s. In the 2010s, advances in epiwafer growth techniques and device fabrication led to the launch of the first generation of GaN power transistors targeting power conversion applications. This kickstarted a period of rapid growth for GaN in power electronics. According to market research firm Yole Développement, the GaN power device market grew from $30 million in 2015 to over $400 million in 2020 with more than 30 million units shipped that year. Major players like Infineon, Panasonic, ON Semiconductor, GaN Systems and Navitas emerged to serve this burgeoning market.
GaN in Mobile Charging and Adoption
One of the earliest mass market adoptions of gallium nitride was in mobile phone charging. The ability of GaN to operate at high frequencies allowed the design of smaller, lighter chargers compared to traditional bulk transformers. GaN Systems worked with Apple to develop the first USB-C power adapter incorporating GaN in 2018. This helped usher GaN into the mainstream. Since then, GaN has found widespread use in OEM chargers and aftermarket adapters from 65W to 140W power levels. GaN can deliver up to three times the power density of silicon which is vital given consumer demands for faster charging speeds. Leading phone makers like Samsung, Google, Xiaomi and OnePlus have standardized on GaN for travel adapters and car chargers.
Expanding into Data Centers and EV Charging
With established footholds in mobile and consumer applications, gallium nitride manufacturers are now targeting more demanding markets. Data centers are tasked with continually increasing their power capacity while reducing costs and footprint. GaN based power supplies can greatly help with this by delivering higher power densities at higher efficiency. GaN transistors also reduce cooling requirements which further cuts operating expenses. Major cloud and internet firms have started qualifying and deploying GaN based 800V-1.2kV server power supplies. Electric vehicle charging is another huge market GaN is increasingly targeting. Compared to silicon IGBTs, GaN enables chargers that are significantly smaller and lighter while supporting faster charge times. Leading EV charging network manufacturers like ChargePoint and EVgo have launched or committed to GaN based high power commercial and fast home chargers up to 350kW.
Room for Continued Innovation
While gallium nitride power semiconductors have come a long way, there remains considerable room for further advancement. Device manufacturers continue working on improving yields and lowering costs through advancements in epiwafer scale-up, new transistor structures and packaging techniques. Higher voltage GaN FETs above 1.2kV are being developed to target industrial motor drives and medium voltage grids. Monolithic transistor designs that integrate gate drivers and floating field plates promise significant size reductions. New materials like AlGaN/GaN and GaN-on-Diamond also offer opportunities for pushing boundaries. And compound semiconductor foundries are ramping leading-edge 8-inch facilities dedicated to GaN which will help drive economies of scale and integration with complex digital logic and control circuits. This innovation pipeline ensures GaN remains on a stellar growth trajectory as it transforms industries driven by electrification and efficiency demands.
Its superior material properties have positioned GaN as the ideal replacement for silicon in power and RF applications that require higher voltages, temperatures, frequencies or densities. GaN is now penetrating mainstream consumer and industrial sectors like mobile devices, data centers, renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicles. Continuous advancements at the materials and device levels will further enhance performance and lower costs, guaranteeing GaN remains at the vanguard of power semiconductor technology.
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