Onsemi’s introduces vertical GaN (vGaN) technology, considered a breakthrough in power semiconductors that sets a new benchmark for efficiency, power density and ruggedness for the age of AI and electrification.
“As electrification and AI reshape industries, efficiency has become the new benchmark that defines the measure of progress – and Vertical GaN is a game-changer for the industry. With this breakthrough, Onsemi is defining the future where energy efficiency and power density are the currency of competitiveness,” said Dinesh Ramanathan, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Onsemi.
The vGaN technology handles high voltages (1,200V plus) in a monolithic die – switching high currents at high frequency with great efficiency inherent to the GaN material. It promises to halve losses in systems. Also, compared to commercially available lateral GaN, vGaN devices are approximately three times smaller. Onsemi states that its vGaN is ideal for critical high-power applications where power density, thermal performance and reliability are paramount, crucial for AI data centres, EVs and their charging Infrastructure, renewable energy and energy storage systems, industrial automation, as well as aerospace, defence and security applications.
For very high voltage devices, Onsemi’s vGaN uses a GaN-on-GaN technology that allows current to flow vertically through the chip rather than across its surface. This design delivers higher power density, greater thermal stability and robust performance under extreme conditions. With these benefits, vGaN leapfrogs both GaN-on-silicon and GaN-on-sapphire devices to deliver higher voltage capability, higher switching frequency, superior reliability and enhanced ruggedness. This enables the development of smaller, lighter and more efficient power systems with reduced cooling requirements and lower overall system cost.
