With support from the Japan Ministry of the Environment’s ‘Project to Accelerate the Social Implementation and Spread of Components and Materials for Innovative CO2 Reductions’, Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd of Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, and Japan-based Powdec K.K. have jointly developed a high-performance horizontal gallium nitride (GaN) power device that can lead to improved performance in power converters used in solar power generation and other equipment.

As society moves toward carbon neutrality, for power control in industrial machinery, automobiles and home appliances etc there is great focus on the commercialization and adoption of next-generation power devices that can reduce power loss during control holds. GaN power devices in particular feature high-speed operation, but higher breakdown voltage for higher-power operation has been an issue in wider application.

Picture: GaN power device and drive circuit board.

Using a module equipped with an originally designed polarization super-junction GaN power transistor with a high breakdown voltage of ≥1500V under development by Toyoda Gosei and Powdec, performance with both high-voltage operation (800V) and high-speed operation (on/off operation of one millionth of a second) is “among the highest in the world”, it is claimed.

Picture: Toyoda Gosei’s area of development.

The demonstration of a power device that offers both high-voltage and high-speed operation is reckoned to be promising for reduced power loss in solar power generation and other benefits. The companies are aiming to assure stable continuous operation and durable quality for early commercialization.