Gallium-nitride (GaN) wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices enable higher power density and efficiency than do silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) or insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). They also offer advantages compared with WBG SiC devices for many applications. GaN-based components can achieve switching frequencies beyond 150 kHz in power-factor-correction (PFC) topologies and beyond 1 MHz in dc-dc power-converter applications.
Texas Instruments offers a line of GaN FETs for applications ranging from consumer power adapters to electric-vehicle onboard chargers. When operating at frequencies higher than 500 kHz, the devices enable you to reduce the size of magnetic components up to 60% compared with other devices. In addition, TI’s proprietary GaN-on-silicon process yields GaN devices designed to keep high-voltage systems safe.