Choosing the Right Power Switch Technology for your Application

To select the correct power device materials, GaN, Si, and SiC, in industrial switching mode power supplies is becoming increasingly complex, with demands for higher efficiency, higher power density, lower cost, and more reliability. To address these challenges, designers need to understand the all-round factors including topologies to match different devices performances that can handle the complexities of industrial SMPS designs. In this webinar, we will explore how these different materials made power devices fit for different industrial SMPS needs. Several design examples using different types of power devices with detail explanation will be given to shorten designers power devices selection studies in their industrial SMPS development.

Motor drives in industrial applications and major home appliances have traditionally used Si MOSFETs and IGBTs and switched at very low frequencies, but the benefits of GaN have recently begun to transition these applications towards >20 kHz with higher system efficiency, smaller size, and lower overall cost. This webinar will explain the motivations to adopt GaN HEMTs in motor drives at voltages from 48 V to 400 V, including some fundamental device benefits as well as system-level improvements, such as enhanced motor performance, reduced cooling burden, and faster control dynamics.