Page 33 - EE Times Europe March 2022

EE|Times EUROPE 33

SiC and GaN: A Tale of Two Semiconductors

Meridian Innovation Limited
info@meridianinno.com
Given this activity, GaN power device revenues are estimated to www.meridianinno.com
reach about US$100 million in 2021. But as GaN device suppliers look Tel: 00852 28100211
to enter other markets to raise volumes, this figure is expected to
swell to that US$1 billion by 2026. And the EV/HEV market is the first
one to watch.
It’s early days for GaN in EVs. Many power GaN players have devel-
oped and auto-qualified 650-V GaN devices for on-board chargers
and DC/DC conversion in EVs/HEVs, with myriad partnerships already
formed with automotive businesses. To sense the invisible
For example, Canada-based GaN Systems supplies its devices to To analyze the improbable
U.S. EV startup Canoo for on-board chargers and has also partnered To measure the unfathomable
with Canada-based EV motor drive supplier FTEX to integrate 650-V
GaN power devices into systems for e-scooters. At the same time,
Transphorm, headquartered in California, has teamed up with auto-
motive supplier Marelli to provide devices for on-board charging and
DC/DC conversion.
STMicroelectronics is expected to supply yet-to-be-auto-
qualified devices to Renault for EV applications. EPC, currently
delivering automotive-qualified low-voltage GaN devices, is working
with French-based Brightloop to develop affordable power supply
converters for off-highway and commercial vehicles. And last year,
Texas Instruments also qualified its 650-V GaN devices for auto-
motive applications.
But as the on-board charger and DC/DC market segments gather
momentum, the billion-dollar question, quite literally, for GaN is:
Will the technology make it to the main inverter of EV powertrains,
reaping spectacularly high volumes comparable to SiC technology?
Early industry developments indicate this is possible.
In February 2020, Nexperia of the Netherlands partnered with U.K.
consultant Ricardo to develop a GaN-based EV inverter design. The
announcement was swiftly followed by VisIC Technologies of Israel
partnering with German auto supplier ZF to develop GaN semicon-
ductors for 400-V driveline applications.
Then, in September, GaN Systems signed a US$100 million deal
with BMW to provide the capacity to manufacture GaN power devices
for the German automaker’s EVs, providing solid evidence that OEMs
are serious about GaN.
In another truly significant development, Navitas will become a
publicly traded company with a market value of US$1.04 billion by Consumer Electronics
combining with special-purpose acquisition company Live Oak 1. Smartphone
2. Smart appliances
Acquisition. The GaN power IC player recently announced it would Industrial Automation 3. Face recognition
supply devices to Switzerland’s Brusa HyPower for on-board chargers 1. PCB inspection 4. Food safety
and DC/DC converters. As a public company, it intends to put its weight Security Monitoring 2. Engineering inspection
1. Health screening
3. Computer room monitoring
behind product development for EVs/HEVs and other markets. 2. Smart fire protection Agricultural monitoring 4. Short circuit maintenance
Beyond those deals, partnerships, and mergers, early work on GaN 3. Smart door lock 1. Pest monitor
modules indicates that the compound semiconductor is following in 4. Pay with face ID 2. Livestock monitor
the footsteps of SiC, with industry players gearing up for more wide- 3. Moisture monitor
4. Frost damage monitor
spread industry integration. For example, GaN Systems is offering a
power evaluation module kit to design engineers, while Transphorm Enabling safer and better living
has been working with Fujitsu General Electronics on a GaN module
that targets industrial and automotive applications.
So what’s next for both SiC and GaN? As manufacturers of power
SiC devices anticipate a multibillion-dollar EV market, will GaN
experience the same success? Widespread OEM adoption of GaN in
drivetrain inverters would radically impact market forecasts. But right
now, we can only wait and see. ■
Ezgi Dogmus is team lead analyst in compound semiconductor and
emerging substrates within the Power and Wireless Division, and
Poshun Chiu and Taha Ayari are technology and market analysts
specializing in compound semiconductor and emerging substrates, all
at Yole Développement. This article was originally published on EE Times
and may be viewed at bit.ly/33qWQQs. The version presented in this
magazine has been updated with Q4 2021 figures and trends from Yole.

www.eetimes.eu | MARCH 2022