GaN power stage enables high-density power conversion designs

The Texas Instruments LMG341xR050 is a gallium nitride (GaN) power stage with an integrated gate driver and robust protection features, the 600V, 50milliohm device enables designers to realise new levels of efficiency in their power conversion systems, which includes applications in high-density industrial and consumer power supplies, high-voltage battery chargers, solar inverters, and multi-level converters.

The GaN power stage gives multiple advantages over silicon MOSFETs, including ultra-low input and output capacitance, low switch-node ringing to lessen EMI, and zero reverse recovery to decrease switching losses by up to 80%. The device’s integrated gate driver supports 100V/ns switching with near-zero Vds ringing, whilst trimmed gate bias voltage provides reliable switching by compensating for threshold variations. The power stage’s unique set of features enables designers to optimise the reliability and performance of any power supply, including dense and efficient topologies such as totem-pole PFC structures.

The GaN power stage incorporates robust protection features that need no external protection components. The device offers overtemperature protection and transient overvoltage immunity, as well as UVLO protection on all supply rails. The device features overcurrent protection with less than 100ns response, in addition to slew rate immunity of greater than 150V/ns.