| 09th May 2023 – Innoscience Technology, the company founded to create a global energy ecosystem based on high-performance, low-cost, gallium-nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) power solutions, has collaborated with the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) to deliver a reference demo that employs Innoscience’s 650V InnoGaN™ HEMT devices in a multilevel topology to address 850VDC applications such as e-mobility motor drivers, solar and industrial inverters, EV fast chargers, and potentially EV drivetrains.
The three-level ANPC (Active Neutral Point Clamped) converter uses Innoscience’s readily-available INN650D080BS 650V, 80mΩ HEMTs in the 8x8mm DFN package. No snubber capacitors or expensive SiC diodes are required, reducing system cost. Explains Prof. Timothé Delaforge of the BFH, who worked on this development with Prof. Sébastien Mariéthoz, also of the BFH: “At higher voltages, classic two-level topologies such as a half-bridge are not practical as the 650V-rated HEMTs will fail. But there are many other topologies which mean that we can keep the operating voltage of the HEMT well below its rated voltage, while working with much higher DC bus voltages. In this case we chose the ANPC topology because it enables us to switch 850VDC without needing SiC. 850V is high enough for many industrial and e-mobility applications – even potentially EV drivetrains – if enough care is taken on the circuity design to minimize parasitics.” He continues: “We chose Innoscience’s InnoGaN HEMTs as they are very high efficiency and reliable, whilst also being the most cost-effective devices available on the market.” Dr Denis Marcon, Innoscience’s General Manager, Europe, adds: “Although this design uses six HEMTs, because we are switching at much higher frequency, we can reduce the size of the filter and hence shrink the overall size of the converter. Also, with our InnoGaN HEMTs we can achieve inverter efficiencies of 99%, increasing system reliability and decreasing cost.” |
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| About Innoscience
Innoscience is an Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) founded in December 2015 with investment from CMBI, ARM, SK and other prestigious investors. With the development of new technologies, the electric power grid and power electronic systems across the world are undergoing a massive transformation. Our vision is to create an energy ecosystem with effective and low-cost Gallium-Nitride-on-Silicon (GaN-on-Si) power solutions. In November 2017, Innoscience first established a mass production 8-inch wafer line for GaN-on-Si devices in Zhuhai. In order to fulfill the rapidly growing power demands, Innoscience has inaugurated a new facility in Suzhou in September 2020. As a cutting-edge GaN technology provider, Innoscience’s 1,400+ employees and over 300 R&D experts are dedicated to delivering high performance and high reliability GaN power devices that can be widely used in diverse applications including cloud computing, electric vehicles (EV) and automotive, portable devices, mobile phones, chargers and adapters. For more information, please visit www.innoscience.com. |
