At the 2013 Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Conference & Expo in Novi, MI, USA (17-19 September), GaN Systems Inc of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a fabless provider of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power switching semiconductors for power conversion and control applications, is presenting a paper on new wide-bandgap semiconductors and their role in transforming automotive power electronics.
Manufacturers are currently designing vehicles to be launched onto the market in 2018, coinciding with the timeframe for GaN to attain price parity with silicon devices, according to market forecasters such as IMS Research. This development will overcome the limitations of silicon and transform power electronics in EHVs, reckons GaN Systems.
At the for the three-day conference Julian Styles, the firm’s director Business Development USA, is joining speakers from players in the EHV industry, explaining the technological advances in semiconductor materials that herald the replacement of traditional silicon in power converters for new generation electric and hybrid vehicles. GaN Systems says that the audience will gain insight into how wide-bandgap power semiconductors based on GaN bring benefits including greater efficiency, weight reduction and lower cost to power electronics for EHVs. Styles will also give insight into devices available now and in the near future, and share the trends that are driving technological advances in semiconductors for electric and hybrid vehicle applications.
“EHVs are full of power electronics, from battery management, auxiliary power, braking, valve timing, cruise control, security systems, instrument clusters – all of which are currently suffering the limitations imposed by silicon, as it doesn’t switch quickly or cope with elevated temperatures,” says CEO Girvan Patterson. “New-generation GaN and SiC semiconductors overcome these difficulties and are lighter, smaller and easier to package,” he adds. “These new devices will lead to dramatic improvements in automotive power electronics and present a major opportunity for the industry.”
