Day 2 - December 4th, 2024

Bodo's WBG - GaN

Welcome to the program for the GaN track, which will be held in room Munich II at the Hilton Munich Airport. Below you can see the companies we have invited to present. Please note, there will be no public call for papers, the event is “invite only”. You can expect the contributions to be highly technical.

All times refer to time zone CET

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08:15
A6
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Opening
  Roland R. Ackermann
 Correspondent Editor Bavaria
 Bodo’s Power Systems
(No session description available yet)
08:30
G1
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GaN innovations: solutions creating value in power electronics
  Oliver Bleck
 Director Business Management – Business line GaN Systems
 Infineon
GaN semiconductors are crucial for meeting the growing demand for more efficient and compact power solutions. In this session, Infineon will showcase its comprehensive GaN portfolio, including the latest innovations, and demonstrate how designers and end-users benefit from CoolGaN™ on top of addressing the power needs of today’s most demanding industries.
08:45
G2
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Humanoid Robots Dexterity Powered by GaN FETs and ICs
  Marco Palma
 Director of Motor Drives Systems and Applications
 Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)
Humanoid robots dedicated to human-robot interaction are mechatronic structures that interact with humans. Each robot’s actuator must raise the level of perceived mechanical flexibility and agility. The joints require motors and inverters to deliver increased torque at higher speeds. The actuators must be brought as close as possible to the root of the link on which they are fixed to limit their inertial effects on the robot dynamic. A torque sensor is required on each joint to reject perturbations through torque control, and the motor must generate the least amount of heat possible because of the limited passive cooling system and the increased interaction with humans, which requires surface temperatures not to exceed 40 °C.
GaN integrated circuits allow for more accurate and efficient motor control, reflected in cooler motor operation and permit inverter miniaturization so that it can be integrated within the motor.
09:00
G3
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Now Rated to 1700V, is GaN Set to Replace SiC Above a Kilovolt?
  Balu Balakrishnan
 CEO
 Power Integrations
GaN has won the market for high-efficiency chargers and adapters, and GaN-based switchers are now found in appliances, consumer products such as TVs, computer power supplies and other open-frame power applications. GaN is highly efficient with low switching losses and suffers far less performance penalty than silicon when moving to higher voltages. therefore there are many applications that can benefit from GaN’s performance at voltages above high-line mains power. GaN ICs are also proven to be rugged and reliable, and therefore suitable for higher voltage industrial and automotive applications once the new material is rated for elevated voltage levels. In the last two years, Power Integrations has delivered three world-first voltage ratings: 900 V, 1250 V and most recently 1700 V. With these successively higher voltage rated devices, GaN is set to dominate applications with DC rail voltages up to 1kV and beyond.
09:15
G4
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Kiss your heatsink goodbye: A kilowatt motor inverter based on GaN
  Stanislav Divín
 Senior Application Engineer
 STMicroelectronics
After making significant strides in power conversion SMPS, GaN technology for motor inverters is generating considerable interest within the industry, as the demand for more efficient drives increases. Thanks to lower losses, a kilowatt power stage can now be designed without the need for a heatsink. This session will demonstrate, through measurements, the benefits of a GaN solution compared to a traditional one.
09:30
B1
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Coffee Break & Tabletop Exhibition
  
 
 
All breaks and catering, as well as the tabletop exhibition, will take place in the foyer.
The perfect spot for networking and learning about the latest products and services!
10:15
G5
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Price competitive GaN power devices are the technology of choice for high-efficiency, compact and cost-effective power systems
  Dr. Denis Marcon
 General Manager
 Innoscience Europe
A Figure of Merit (Ron x Qg) that is ten times better than traditional silicon enables gallium nitride (GaN) power devices to out-perform silicon solutions in both AC-DC and DC-DC applications. High switching frequency can be employed without compromising efficiency. Therefore, smaller passive components can be used and heat sinks can be reduced or even removed, resulting in more compact systems with a smaller BOM which often delivers cost savings. Also, because GaN – unlike silicon – does not have a body diode, and therefore zero reverse recovery current, simpler topologies such as the Totem-Pole can be employed for high-efficiency PFC designs. This also permits simpler and lower cost design without incurring a performance penalty. This discussion will use practical AC-DC and DC-DC conversion examples to demonstrate the advantage Innoscience’s discrete InnoGaN™ and integrated SolidGaN™ GaN solutions which cover applications from 30V-700V. Consumer and industrial use cases will include: LED drivers; three phase inverters for white goods and HVAC systems; high power PFC power supply units; DC-DC converters for datacenters; and motor drives for battery-powered equipment. Having addressed performance, effectiveness and reliability, Dr Marcon will explain how Innoscience, by leveraging economies of scale and state-of-the-art, high yield 8-inch GaN-on-Si wafer processing, can deliver GaN power chips that are price-competitive with silicon thus removing this last barrier for the wide adoption of GaN power devices.
10:30
G6
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Utilization of GaN in Industrial Power Module Packages
  David Chilachava
 Technical Marketing Manager
 Vincotech
GaN has become the state-of-the-art solution for low power consumer applications. Power modules are the enabler for industrial applications. But care is needed to overcome GaN’s inherent challenges when designing power modules. This presentation evaluates the results of a GaN-based industrial power module and the potential use cases.
10:45
G7
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Powering the Future : ICeGaN’s role in redefining power supply performance for Next- Gen Data Centres
  Farhan Beg
 Application Engineering Director
 Cambridge GaN Devices
With Data Centres pushing boundaries on energy consumption and sustainability, GaN is emerging as a key technology in developing cutting-edge power solutions, transforming energy use, reducing cooling demands, and driving operational savings. Join us as we explore how CGDs GaN solutions are not just powering Data Centres but setting the stage for the future of digital infrastructure. This presentation explores the transformative impact of CGD’s Gallium Nitride (ICeGaN) technology on power supply efficiency and performance for Data Centre power supply solutions.
11:00
G8
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Maximizing application benefits with GaN: a comparison of commercial technologies
  Marco Scilio
 FAE Team Lead
 Nexperia
Gallium nitride (GaN) devices have emerged as superior alternatives to traditional Si technology, offering higher efficiency, power density, and cost-effectiveness. Devices in mass production today feature two main device architectures: Depletion mode (D-mode) or Enhancement mode (E-mode). Product solutions based on D-mode, such as cascode or direct drive configurations, offer high saturation current, lower 3rd quadrant losses and high gate robustness. Products based on e-mode technology can address a wide range of applications and provide efficiency benefits at higher switching frequencies and improved slew rate control. This presentation will analyse each technology’s strengths, weaknesses, target segments and applications.
11:15
G9
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D³GaN is breaking the boundaries of EV inverter efficiency
  Hans Winter
 Vice President Product
 VisIC Technologies
This presentation presents a cutting-edge automotive inverter technology designed to achieve the highest efficiency in electric vehicle (EV) powertrains. Through extensive testing on a motor bench, the proposed inverter outperforms conventional systems in terms of energy conversion and reduced losses, and enhanced performance (inverter peak efficiency > 99.5%). The inverter power core is built with VisIC Technologies unique and innovative High-Voltage GaN technology D3GaN (Direct Drive D-Mode technology) that enable lowest switching losses when driving EV motors. Providing a best-in-class solution for automotive applications combined with system cost savings (SiC inverter performance @ Silicon inverter system costs). Results from testing confirm that D3GaN based inverter power cores significantly improves the overall efficiency of EVs, contributing to longer driving range, and improved vehicle performance. This breakthrough technology represents a key advancement in the pursuit of sustainable, high-performance electric mobility.
11:30
G10
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Using TCAD to understand GaN design dependencies for Electric Vehicle applications
  Andrew Patterson
 EMEA Sales Director
 Silvaco
Optimizing the use of the available energy-budget in Electric Vehicle design has become a top objective for vehicle manufacturers, and their requirements ripple down the automotive supply chain. The Benefits of GaN switching devices in automotive power applications are well documented, but how far can they these devices be further adapted and improved to win wider adoption in automotive applications? This presentation will look at the demands of the automotive industry, and the role of TCAD (Technology Computer Aided Design), and FTCO (Fab Technology Co-Optimization) tools in the GaN device design process. By combining manufacturing data, actual device measurements, and simulation results into the design flow, engineers can maximize GaN device quality and performance.
11:45
B2
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Lunch Break & Tabletop Exhibition
  
 
 
All breaks and catering, as well as the tabletop exhibition, will take place in the foyer.
The perfect spot for networking and learning about the latest products and services!
13:30
G11
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Driving electric Motors with GaN power ICs
  Alfred Hesener
 Senior Director Industrial and Consumer Applications
 Navitas
Home appliances and low power industrial drives must improve efficiency and reliability, to meet new regulations, with optimized system cost at the same time. Navitas’ new GaNSense Motor Drive ICs offer a complete feature set to enable this market trend. This presentation will focus on key robustness and reliability factors, and show ways to reduce size and number of components.
13:45
G12
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Smart power GaN technology for higher energy efficiency
  Gabriele Gherdovich
 Power Conversion Business Unit Director
 STMicroelectronics
In the field of efficient power management, wide bandgap materials are game changers. Using WBG switches is not an easy task, though. This is particularly true when it comes to driving GaN HEMTS due to their limited gate-source voltage rating and their tremendous switching speed that magnifies the effect of stray inductances in both the driving path and the power path. Optimizing the circuit board layout to prevent major damage is critical more than ever. Significant help is provided by the integrated approach system-in-package (SiP) or system-on-chip (SoC) of the driver(s) or the controller and the GaN HEMT(s) in the same package: this implies different partitioning of the systems and products to improve systems efficiency performance, to simplify board and requires deep knowledge in Silicon IC, power GaN , power package integration, system and topology know how.
14:00
G13
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How to improve efficiency in solar power systems with wide bandgap devices
  Harald Parzhuber
 Systems Manager, Energy Infrastructure
 Texas Instruments
The overall efficiency of a solar power system is measured in part by its ability to transfer the maximum available power from a solar panel into a string inverter or battery storage system. Traditionally, power optimizers and solar charge controllers use Si-MOSFET technology. However, GaN technology enables these systems to reduce solution size by operating at higher switching frequencies with improved efficiency. This presentation will exemplify how GaN can improve power density and efficiency in power optimizers and solar charge controllers, increasing overall efficiency of the solar power system.
14:15
G14
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GaN Advantage in Multilevel Totem Pole PFC
  Marco Palma
 Director of Motor Drives Systems and Applications
 Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)
The flying capacitor multilevel converter (FCML) topology uses capacitors as DC sources and is scalable to high-level counts. In a PFC, The effective switching frequency seen by the inductor is higher than the switching frequency applied to the switching devices. This reduces the required inductance to meet a given ripple compared to a conventional two-level converter switching at the same frequency. The capacitance required at each level is inversely proportional to the converter switching frequency. Therefore, the total energy storage in the FCML converter can be reduced by increasing the switching frequency. The presentation introduces a multi-level figure of merit and compares a 4-level and a 2-level Gan PFC.
14:30
G15
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Monolithic Bidirectional GaN-Device: Opportunity and Challenges for Highly Efficient Design of Power Electronics Converters
  Dr. Reza Barzegarkhoo
 Scientific Research Staff of Chair of Power Electronics
 Kiel University
Bidirectional wide band gap (WBG) power devices are realized within different circuitry configurations in power electronics to block a stress voltage in both polarities and to conduct a symmetric current in both directions. While they have been designed as an integral part of many power electronic converters (PEs) in various applications, their possible utilization, i.e., monolithic or discrete WBG-based, has a direct impact on performance operation of the entire converter. The aim of this presentation is to introduce the opportunities and challenges provided by monolithic bidirectional switch (MBS)-GaN-based HEMT in respect to its discrete WBG-based counterpart for new generation of PE converters. The opportunities can be outlined as achieving higher power density/overall efficiency, introducing new topologies, and adding new circuit functionalities to the emerging and existing PE converters. On the contrary, MBS-GaN challenges are summarized as power layout optimization to reduce the parasitics, and gate-driver design requirement.
14:45
B3
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Coffee Break & Tabletop Exhibition
  
 
 
All breaks and catering, as well as the tabletop exhibition, will take place in the foyer.
The perfect spot for networking and learning about the latest products and services!
15:30
G16
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Theoretical Insights and Modeling of Vertical GaN Switches for Industrial Applications
  Dr. Samaneh Sharbati
 Associate Professor
 University of Southern Denmark
To be confirmed…
15:45
G17
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Overcoming Measurement Challenges in High-Speed GaN/SiC Power Devices
  Marcus Sonst
 Senior Application Engineer
 Rohde & Schwarz
In the past, DC-DC converter designs based on standard silicon MOSFETs did not switch as fast and hence standard measurement methods could be applied. Today, Wide Bandgap (WBG) technology enables the user to design converter based on GaN devices and thus higher power density and efficient designs are possible. This new fast switching technology also leads to a more complex and challenging validation process. The presentation will show different typical measurement scenarios of a GaN-based synchronous buck converter and will discuss limitations of standard measurement equipment. Suitable solutions and measurement methods will be presented how to overcome this challenging validation of GaN converter designs.
16:00
G18
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Real-time simulation for SiC/GaN devices with 1.5 MHz switching frequency
  Dr. Enrique Rodriguez Diaz
 Power Electronics Engineer
 Plexim
The high switching frequencies of converters with GaN and SiC components pose a challenge for real-time simulators used for hardware-in-the-loop testing of control systems. To overcome this issue, Plexim has developed Nanostep®. The new Nanostep® solver enables real-time simulations on the RT Box with step sizes as low as 4ns, making it the perfect technology for WBG converters.
16:15
G19
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Innovative approaches to improve accuracy in dynamic switching characterization and Rds ON measurement
  Andrea Vinci
 Global Technical Marketing
 Tektronix
Double pulse test (DPT) is widely used to characterize the dynamic performance of power devices, but the test methodology and the instrumentation might have a direct impact on the results accuracy. Parameters such as Rds ON and Energy loss during switching require measurement expertise combined with adequate solutions. Tektronix explores a solution approach that leverages innovation on both software and hardware, going beyond traditional limits.
16:30
G20
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Bi-directional GaNFast for next generation high-performance topologies
  Alfred Hesener
 Senior Director Industrial and Consumer Applications
 Navitas
To be confirmed…