Infineon and Panasonic will jointly launch a normally closed 600V GaN power device

     Infineon Technologies AG and Panasonic announced that the companies have entered into an agreement to jointly develop GaN devices using Panasonic's normally closed (enhanced) silicon substrate gallium nitride (GaN) transistor architecture, packaged with Infineon's surface Mount (SMD). In this context, Panasonic granted Infineon a license to use its normally closed GaN transistor structure. Under the terms of this agreement, both companies will be able to produce high-performance GaN devices. The benefit is that customers can obtain GaN power switches in compatible packages from both channels. To date, no other silicon-based GaN device offers such a supply mix. The parties agreed not to disclose any other contractual details.

     As a new generation of compound semiconductor technology, silicon substrate GaN technology has attracted much attention. On the one hand, it can achieve a high power density, thereby reducing the external size of the device (such as power supplies and adapters); On the other hand, it is the key to improving energy efficiency. In general, power devices based on silicon substrate GaN technology are suitable for a variety of applications, from high-voltage industrial equipment, such as server power supplies, which is also one of the potential application areas of 600V GaN devices, to low-voltage equipment, such as DC-DC converters, as in high-end consumer electronics. According to the market research report released by IHS, the power semiconductor market related to silicon substrate GaN technology will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 50%, that is, by 2023, its market capacity will increase from $15 million in 2014 to $800 million.

     Andreas Urschitz, President of the Power Management and Diversified Markets Division at Infineon Technologies AG, said: "Infineon is committed to offering customers a diverse and outstanding portfolio of products and technologies, including reliable GaN power devices. We firmly believe that enhanced mode silicon substrate GaN switching devices, combined with our corresponding drives and optimized drive solutions, will create value for our customers, and this dual sourcing concept will help customers manage and stabilize their supply chains."

     Toru Nishida, President of Panasonic Semiconductor Co., LTD., said: "Leveraging our extensive experience in the field of compound semiconductor technology, Panasonic has developed a normally closed GaN power technology with a simple configuration and easy to control mechanism. We hope to promote the adoption of GaN power devices by licensing Infineon to use the normally closed GaN transistor structure in our GaN power technology. We will continue to innovate on normally closed GaN technology and contribute to creating solutions that meet our customers' needs."