The power semiconductor market is facing a new turning point. Although silicon (Si)-based devices have sustained the industry for decades, the paradigm in the power electronics field is rapidly shifting as gallium nitride (GaN) technology has recently been commercialized in earnest.

According to Infineon Technologies AG, the recently introduced medium-voltage GaN bidirectional switch (CoolGaN™ BDS 40V G3) and 300mm power GaN technology are being evaluated as a 'game changer' in the industry and are emerging as a key pillar of next-generation power systems.

■ The Power Electronics Formula Changed by GaN

The biggest advantages of GaN technology are high power efficiency, fast switching speed, and miniaturization potential.

Compared to silicon, it has higher electron mobility, resulting in lower losses and enabling high-frequency operation, which can drastically reduce the size of power conversion devices.

This is an attractive factor in all industries experiencing skyrocketing power demand, such as smartphones, laptops, servers, and electric vehicles.

In particular, Infineon’s CoolGaN™ BDS 40V G3 is a normally-off bidirectional switch based on a single Schottky gate (SG) that allows bidirectional current flow in the ON state and blocks bidirectional voltage in the OFF state.

Since the conventional MOSFET-based series connection method is not required, power loss can be significantly reduced and package size can also be minimized.

This provides immediate benefits for smartphone battery protection switches or mobile device power management.

■ 300mm Power GaN: Why It Is a Game Changer

Although the potential of GaN technology was already well known, the reason the industry began to pay serious attention was 300mm wafer-based power This is because GaN production technology has emerged.

Conventional GaN production was mainly carried out on 150 mm or 200 mm wafers, which had limitations in terms of production volume and cost.

The introduction of the 300mm process enables the following changes.

First, the significant reduction in production unit costs allows larger wafers to produce more chips in the same process, greatly improving price competitiveness.

In addition, the establishment of a mass production system lays the foundation for stable supply to large-scale demand industries such as servers, data centers, and electric vehicles.

In addition, the potential for integration with existing CMOS processes is expanding, accelerating the commercialization of GaN technology, and there is a high possibility that it will form a new standard for power semiconductors.

Infineon describes this as an “industry game changer,” emphasizing that GaN technology is not merely a substitute but a technology that changes the very structure of the power electronics industry.

■ New Application Markets Opened by Bidirectional Switches

The CoolGaN™ BDS series can be utilized in various fields, including not only mobile devices but also power converters, battery management systems (BMS), portable electronic devices, and IoT devices.


In particular, the bidirectional current and voltage cutoff function plays a crucial role in battery protection circuits, and its performance as a high-output load switch is also superior to conventional silicon..

In addition, low gate charge (Qg) and output charge (Qoss) reduce switching losses, enabling high-efficiency power design.

Compatibility with Infineon’s EZ-PD™ CCGx and PMGx controllers also enhances design convenience, providing an attractive option for developers.

■ How Far Will GaN Go

Experts predict that GaN technology will be the fastest-growing technology in the power semiconductor market over the next decade. In particular, explosive demand is expected in fields such as power management for smartphones and mobile devices, power efficiency improvement for data centers and AI servers, on-board chargers (OBCs) and DC-DC converters for electric vehicles, renewable energy inverters and energy storage systems (ESS), and ultra-fast chargers and power adapters.

When the 300mm power GaN process gets underway, the price barrier will be lowered, and the speed at which GaN-based power systems become mainstream is expected to accelerate.

This is rapidly replacing the domain previously handled by silicon-based power semiconductors and is highly likely to fundamentally change the landscape of the power electronics industry.

■ Infineon Leads Paradigm Shift in Power Electronics with Medium-Voltage GaN Bidirectional Switches and 300mm Power GaN Technology

Although GaN technology already holds a significant position in the field of power electronics, Infineon's medium-voltage GaN bidirectional switches and 300mm power GaN technology are further accelerating that change.

Amid industry demands for smaller, faster, and more efficient power systems, GaN is establishing itself not merely as an option, but as a core pillar of future power technology.