In March 2020, Marelli, one of the world's leading global independent suppliers to the automotive sector, announced a strategic partnership with Transphorm to collaborate on new GaN-based automotive/EV power conversion solutions including On-board Chargers (OBCs), DC-DC Converters and Powertrain Inverters for electric and hybrid vehicles. To date, Marelli has made a $4 million equity investment in Transphorm and has committed to an additional $1 million equity investment in Q1 2021.
Dr. Joachim Fetzer, CEO, Electric Powertrain Marelli, commented, “Transphorm’s demonstration of achieving 10 kilowatts of power from a discrete packaged GaN device in a bridge configuration is further validation of the exciting promise of GaN for electric vehicle converters and inverters. As part of our previously announced partnership, we will continue to evaluate Transphorm’s industry-leading GaN devices and work together in support of a multi-year EV systems product roadmap.”
“We continue to innovate Transphorm’s SuperGaN FET technology, now offering the world’s lowest on-resistance in a standard TO-247-3 package in the market, targeted for electric vehicles and other higher power conversion applications. This allows customers to drive into double digit kilowatts with a single device, continuing to demonstrate GaN’s ability to provide higher performance, lower system cost and higher power density,” said Primit Parikh, COO and Co-founder, Transphorm. “Our Gen V GaN platform is creating new design opportunities for power levels that previously required paralleling, while still offering the greater than 99% efficiency.”
Transphorm’s SuperGaN™ Technology Outperforms Silicon Carbide
The SuperGaN Gen V platform incorporates all the learnings from its Gen IV predecessor, patented reduced packaging inductance technology, ease of designability and drivability (Vth of 4 V for noise immunity), and gate robustness of +/- 20 Vmax along with a simplified and reduced assembly structure. In a recent article published in EEWorld, “Pushing the Boundaries of High Voltage GaN Power Conversion,” the company’s TP65H015G5WS was compared to a similar on-resistance leading-edge SiC MOSFET in a standard TO-247-3 package. The devices were both operated up to 12 kW at 70 kHz in a half bridge synchronous boost converter, resulting in Transphorm’s GaN device demonstrating up to 25% lower losses.
Transphorm has begun sampling the SuperGaN Gen V FET, a 15 mΩ 650 V device, which is unavailable with today’s single chip e-mode GaN technology due to its gate sensitivity. Matching the lowest R available from typical SiC MOSFETs in a discrete package, the solution is capable of driving more than 10 kW depending on the target application, such as EV OBCs and powertrain inverters, power supplies for rack powered data center servers, uninterruptible industrial power applications, and renewable photovoltaic inverters. The TP65H015G5WS will also be available for die level module solutions that enable further paralleling for even higher power. The Company anticipates its Gen V FET device to receive JEDEC qualification in mid-2021 with AEC-Q101 qualification expected thereafter.
About Marelli
MARELLI is one of the world’s leading global independent suppliers to the automotive sector. With a strong and established track record in innovation and manufacturing excellence, our mission is to transform the future of mobility through working with customers and partners to create a safer, greener and better-connected world. With around 60,000 employees worldwide, the MARELLI footprint includes 170 facilities and R&D centers across Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa, generating revenues of 13.4 Billion Euro (JPY1,541billion) in 2019.
About Transphorm
Transphorm, Inc., a global leader in the GaN revolution, designs and manufactures high performance and high reliability GaN semiconductors for high voltage power conversion applications. Having one of the largest Power GaN IP portfolios of more than 1,000 owned or licensed patents, Transphorm produces the industry’s first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified high voltage GaN semiconductor devices. The Company’s vertically integrated device business model allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support. Transphorm’s innovations are moving power electronics beyond the limitations of silicon to achieve over 99% efficiency, 40% more power density and 20% lower system cost. Transphorm is headquartered in Goleta, California and has manufacturing operations in Goleta and Aizu, Japan. For more information, please visit www.transphormusa.com. Follow us on Twitter @transphormusa.
The SuperGaN mark is a registered trademark of Transphorm, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
