Semiconductor project announced for GaN power innovation

Yole SystemPlus collaborates closely with Yole Intelligence, also part of Yole Group, to identify the latest technical innovations, and understand and analyse the strategic choices made by the leading OEMs.

Both partners combine their expertise to provide a deep understanding of the industry’s evolution through the technologies and strategies of the leading companies.

In its new comparison report, 'GaN Power Transistor Comparison 2022', Yole SystemPlus presents an overview of state-of-the-art GaN (gallium nitride) power devices to highlight differences in design and manufacturing processes and their impact on device size and production cost. This report analyses 34 devices from 12 of the leading suppliers.

Yole SystemPlus’s comparison report also includes estimated manufacturing costs of the analysed GaN devices and their selling prices. Physical, technological, and manufacturing cost comparisons between the devices are also provided.

Recent market reports have shown the continued growth of the GaN power device market, as well as the adoption of these devices in various applications ranging from consumer electronics to automotive applications. The GaN power market is expected to reach US$2 billion in 2027.

Oluwasayo Loto, Technology & Cost Analyst at Yole SystemPlus asserts: “With GaN being a relatively new technology compared to silicon, GaN device manufacturers offer different approaches to device design, integration, and packaging.

"Due to the technical difficulty in GaN epitaxy, most manufacturers outsource the various stages of device manufacturing, thereby changing their business models from pure device manufacturing business models. GaN business models are now very varied.”

Since their first commercialisation in 2010, the performance and added value of GaN devices have been gradually proven, and prices have become increasingly acceptable to end users. New major players like STMicroelectronics are entering the market, and there is increased adoption of monolithic power GaN IC s in various mobile charges with a power rating up to 130W at affordable prices.

However, GaN devices still have some technical and commercial challenges. Technically, improvements are required in manufacturing yield and electrical performance. Commercially, there is a need for large-volume market adoption driven by targeted applications (for instance, automotive) to reduce further the cost of GaN devices and favor GaN adoption on a large commercial scale.