Hybrid Power Architecture Delivers GaN, IGBT Advantages to EV Apps
At APEC 2025, Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) unveiled its new power-module architecture, which shows promise to significantly reduce the cost of electric-vehicle powertrain applications over 100 kW without sacrificing performance or reliability. Dubbed “Combo ICeGaN,” the hybrid approach pairs smart the company’s ICeGaN HEMT ICs and IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors) in the same module (IPM) to maximize efficiency while providing a cost-effective alternative to more expensive all-silicon-carbide (SiC) solutions.
Products based on the Combo ICeGaN architecture take advantage of the fact that ICeGaN and IGBT devices have similar drive voltage ranges (e.g., 0 to 20 V), enabling them to be operated in parallel.
During operation under light-load/low-current conditions, the ICeGaN switch provides very efficient operation, with low conduction and low switching losses. As load currents rise toward full load or during surge conditions, the high-power (and less expensive) IGBT supplements the module’s output. This hybrid approach provides additional robustness, thanks to the high saturation currents and the avalanche-clamping capability of IGBTs.
CGD expects to have working demos of Combo ICeGaN at the end of this year. The company said that its upcoming series of hybrid (GaN/IGBT) products will allow EV designers to enjoy GaN’s benefits in DC-DC converters, onboard chargers, and, potentially, traction inverters in the 100-kW+ range. Additional details of CGD’s Combo ICeGaN technology can be found in a recently published IEDM paper.
