Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), a fabless clean-tech semiconductor company developing energy-efficient GaN-based power devices, will showcase how GaN technology is advancing higher-power applications at this year’s PCIM Europe event in Germany in May (Booth 657).
The company’s ICeGaN technology brings the benefits of GaN to applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), including improved efficiency, compact size, and enhanced thermal management. A key highlight at CGD’s event booth will be the world’s first Combo ICeGaN innovation, pairing CGD’s ICeGaN GaN ICs with IGBTs to address EV inverters rated at 100 kW and above.
This combination improves efficiency compared to traditional silicon-based designs and reduces cost relative to silicon-carbide solutions.
Demonstrations…
For motor drives:
- A 650-V, 25 mΩ half-bridge design for 2–6 kW systems, using a BHDFN enhanced bottom-side cooled package capable of dissipating 10 W (at TA = 50° C).
- A 400-W home appliance motor drive design developed with Qorvo, demonstrating easy MOSFET replacement with ICeGaN. The design eliminates fans, heatsinks, and bulky resistors, improving efficiency and reducing system size.
- An 800-W evaluation kit, also in partnership with Qorvo, targeting industrial applications. ICeGaN’s integrated Miller Clamp removes the need for a negative gate voltage or a specialized GaN driver, increasing efficiency and delivering a quieter drive profile.
- An IPM (Intelligent Power Module) featuring ICeGaN, running cooler and without heatsinks, which allows for lower deadtime and reduced waveform distortion. A three-phase inverter demo comparing traditional shunt resistor-based designs with a simpler ICeGaN solution featuring integrated current sensing, reducing BOM count and complexity.
For EVs:
- In partnership with IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN), a 3-level ANPC 800-V EV traction inverter developing 100 kW. Using ICeGaN in a 3-level NPC topology enhances inverter efficiency, reduces THD, lowers motor dV/dt, and achieves switching loss reductions that support a power density of 25–30 kW/l.
- A parallel-configured ICeGaN setup achieving higher power levels (demonstrated at 10 kW). The dual-side cooled DHDFN package with a dual-gate pinout simplifies PCB routing, while ICeGaN’s control innovations enable superior current sharing and clean switching, supporting full current (400 V, 120 A) during double-pulse testing.
- A 650-V, 25 mΩ full-bridge reference design for 4–10 kW systems. Featuring a DHDFN package with double-side cooling, the design achieves reduced thermal resistance and supports high power density.
During PCIM, CGD will also give the following presentation related to EVs:
ICeGaN benefits in Motor Drive Inverters through the evaluation of electrical performance under application conditions This presentation explores the advantages of ICeGaN technology in motor drive inverters, focusing on its impact on electrical performance. Key topics include improved efficiency, reduced power losses, enhanced thermal management, and the potential for compact system design. Through application-specific evaluations, the discussion highlights how GaN-based solutions outperform traditional silicon inverters, offering transformative benefits for modern motor control systems.
Speaker: Farhan Beg, Director of Application Engineering, CGD
Date: Tuesday, May 6th
Time: 12:55-13:15
Location: Hall 4, Booth 4-435
The demos and presentation will take place during PCIM Europe 2024, held May 6th to 8th, 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany.
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