The GaN IC packages enhance thermal performance for data centers and inverters, ensuring efficient power management.
Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD), a fabless, clean-tech semiconductor company specializing in GaN-based power devices for greener electronics, has introduced two new packages for its ICeGaN family of GaN power ICs. These packages improve thermal performance and simplify inspection. Both are variants of the DFN style, noted for their durability.
The DHDFN-9-1 (Dual Heat-spreader DFN) is a thin, dual-side cooled package with a 10×10 mm footprint. It features wettable flanks for easier optical inspection and offers low thermal resistance. It supports bottom-side, top-side, and dual-side cooling, providing flexibility in design and better performance compared to the commonly used TOLT package in both top-side and dual-side configurations. Designed with a dual-gate pinout, the DHDFN-9-1 facilitates PCB layout and easy paralleling, suitable for applications up to 6 kW.
The BHDFN-9-1 (Bottom Heat-spreader DFN) focuses on bottom-side cooling and also includes wettable flanks for straightforward inspection. It has a thermal resistance of 0.28 K/W, competitive with other leading devices. Its 10 x 10 mm size is smaller than the typical TOLL package but maintains a similar footprint, allowing for easy integration and evaluation with TOLL-packaged GaN power ICs.
Enhancing thermal resistance performance offers multiple advantages. Firstly, it allows for greater power output at the same resistance (R DS(on)). This improvement means devices operate at cooler temperatures even at higher power levels, reducing the need for extensive heat sinking and lowering overall system costs. Additionally, cooler operating temperatures contribute to increased reliability and extended device lifetimes. Lastly, if budget is a concern, designers can opt for a more cost-effective component with a higher R DS(on) while still meeting the necessary power output requirements.
“These new packages are part of our strategy to enable customers to use our ICeGaN GaN power ICs at higher power levels. Servers, data centres, inverters/motor drives, micro-inverters and other industrial applications are all beginning to enjoy the power density and efficiency benefits that GaN brings, but they are also more demanding. Therefore, it is essential for such applications that devices are also rugged and reliable, and easy to design in. These attributes are inherent in ICeGaN, and are supported and extended by the new packages,” said Nare Gabrielyan, Product Marketing Manager, CGD.
