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AEC-qualified FETs exploit GaN technology for autonomous vehicles

21st January 2019

Caroline Hayes

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The EPC2206, and EPC2212 eGaN FETs by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) are both discrete transistors in wafer level chip-scale packaging (WLCS) with 80 and 100V DS ratings respectively. They have received AEC Q101-qualification and will be joined by more discrete transistors and ICs designed for the harsh automotive environment, says the company.

eGaN technology has been used in light detection and ranging (lidar) and radar for autonomous cars, although it can also be used in 48 to 12V DC/DC converters for data centre computers and high fidelity infotainment systems.

The EPC2206 is an 80V, 2.2mΩ enhancement-mode FET with a pulsed current rating of 390A and is supplied in a 6.1 x 2.3mm chip-scale package. The EPC2212 is a 100V, 13.5mΩ component with a pulsed current rating of 75A. It is supplied in a 2.1 x 1.6mm chip-scale package. According to the company, these eGaN FETs are many times smaller and achieve switching speeds 10 to 100 times faster than their silicon MOSFET counterparts.

The EPC2206 is suitable for vehicles using 48V bus power distribution to manage the electronically-driven functions, such as electric start-stop, electric steering, electronic suspension, and variable speed air conditioning, with emerging systems including lidar, radar, camera, and ultrasonic sensors accelerating a move a 48V bus system, while size, weight and cost are reduced to meet the demands of the competitive automotive market.

The EPC2212 can be used for firing the lasers in lidar systems because it can be triggered to create high-current with extremely short pulse widths, leading to higher resolution. The higher pulse current allows the lidar system to discern objects at greater distances. Other applications are radar and ultrasonic sensors in vehicles.