Page 44 - PEN eBook October 2025

SEMICONDUCTORS
Simplify solar designs with

TOLL-packaged GaN power

stages

Solar energy as a power source is on the rise. And on-resistances. For example, in solar microinverters, both
as clean energy requirements scale rapidly, efficient, the bidirectional DC/DC and the PFC and inverter stage
compact and cost-sensitive power-conversion systems can use an integrated GaN TOLL device to convert the
are more important than ever, which is why designers are solar panel DC power to AC power.
turning to GaN. TI’s family of integrated GaN power stages
in an industry-standard TOLL package – LMG3650R025, Discover how you can confidently push the limits of
LMG3650R035 and LMG3650R070 – combines a your solar design
650V GaN FET and a high-performance gate driver with
advanced protection features to help designers achieve Learn more about our latest 600W GaN-based
the higher power density and efficiency necessary in cycloconverter design for microinverters
today’s solar power systems. GaN enables up to 10x
the switching speed over SiC FETs and IGBTs, which
reduces the size of passives and increases power density. How SiC Substrate
GaN also lowers switching and gate-drive losses and
eliminates reverse-recovery to increase overall efficiency.

By integrating the driver and protection features such Manufacturers Are
as overcurrent, overtemperature and short-circuit
protection, the LMG3650x family simplifies layout and Lowering Their
reduces the need for external protection components.
Since most sensing and optimization features are
integrated in the power stage, these devices help Environmental Impact
designers reliably scale to different power levels and
support multiple topologies, including totem-pole power
factor correction (PFC), phase-shifted full bridge and dual By Sonu Daryanani, contributing writer for Power Electronics News
active bridge using different drain-to-source

The impact of climate change has triggered a global to lower the environmental impact of manufacturing
response to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. SiC power devices. We look at three examples below.
Semiconductors play a key role in the electrification
of everyday consumer and industrial applications USING CO2 FOR SiC
(or power loads) ranging from electric vehicles SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING
to commercial heating/cooling. They also play an SiC wafers are typically produced through the physical
important role in electricity generation and distribution, vapor transport (PVT) process, whereby the constituent
including the power conversion and storage of elements are sublimated onto a seed single-crystal
large-scale renewable energy generators, grid power SiC. The sublimation source is SiC in powder form. This
distribution, and domestic microinverter photovoltaic SiC powder is typically produced through the Acheson
systems. process. Named after Edward Acheson, who patented
this process in 1896, it involves the reaction of silicon
Wide-bandgap semiconductors such as silicon dioxide with petroleum coke (a form of carbon).
carbide give efficiency, power density, and Temperatures of about 2,000°C are used to form the
performance advantages over conventional, SiC powder and result in carbon monoxide emissions.
silicon-based power devices. Hence, they can provide
environmental benefits from lower energy consumption In 2024, Resonac and Tohoku University (Japan)
for a given task. However, the manufacturing of these started collaborative research into an alternative
devices is in itself a very energy-hungry process that method to create SiC powder. Resonac is a chemicals
can counter some of these benefits. Many device company that produces and sells a broad range of
manufacturers and universities are working on methods products related to semiconductors, including

OCTOBER 2025 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com 45