ROHM's newly developed gate driver IC enhances GaN device capabilities

This breakthrough stems from an in-depth comprehension of GaN technology combined with a relentless drive to enhance gate driver performance. The result is a swift switching capability with a minimal gate input pulse width of 1.25ns, enabling the development of smaller, more energy-efficient, and higher-performing applications.

The burgeoning IoT sector has intensified the need for power conversion efficiency and compact power supply units in server systems. Concurrently, LiDAR technology, integral to autonomous vehicles and industrial and infrastructure monitoring, seeks rapid pulsed laser light to improve recognition precision.

To meet the demand for high-speed switching devices, alongside GaN device introduction, ROHM has unveiled a gate driver IC that extracts the full potential of GaN performance. ROHM is also planning to release more compact WLCSP products to facilitate further miniaturisation.

Considering the sensitivity of GaN devices to gate input overvoltage, ROHM has pioneered a technique to mitigate gate voltage overshoots, which has been incorporated into this driver. Additionally, it allows for the selection of the optimal GaN device by adjusting the gate resistance to meet specific application needs. ROHM's product range, including the EcoGaN series, when paired with its gate driver ICs, bolsters power solutions that support a sustainable society.

Professor Yue-Ming Hsin, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan, said: “GaN devices are expected to be materials that can demonstrate performance in the high-frequency range more than silicon. In power switching applications such as DC-DC and AC-DC converters, and in LiDAR applications, the performance of GaN devices can contribute to smaller, more energy-efficient, and higher performance applications.

“On the other hand, to demonstrate the performance of GaN devices, gate driver IC that enable high-speed switching while taking into account the low drive voltage of GaN HEMTs are essential. Therefore, we turned our attention to ROHM, which aims to maximise the performance of GaN devices by developing optimised gate drive technology. Professor Yu-Chen Liu (National Taipei University of Technology) and Professor Chin Hsia (Chang Gung University), who are working together on the same project, tested ROHM’s driver IC, the BD2311NVX.

“The results showed that BD2311NVX had shorter rise time and lower ringing at 1MHz switching frequency for boost converters compared to other driver ICs.

“The reduced rise time of this driver IC will help maximise the reduction in switching losses, which is an advantage of GaN. We are also looking forward to ROHM's GaN solutions, which have strengths in analog technologies in power supplies and drivers.”