Power

Patents for GaN power conversion are granted

5th September 2014
Siobhan O'Gorman
0

Patents in the area of GaN (Gallium Nitride) power conversion, directed towards the operation and use of GaN transistors, have been secured by Transphorm. Patent application number 8,816,751 entitled "Ip" was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on 26th August, 2014, while 13/887,204 entitled "Bridge Circuits and Their Components" was granted on 27th August 2014.

These patents belong to a bridge circuit patent family based on the TRANSPHORM DIODE-FREE GaN solution, in which a GaN transistor also serves the function of the conventional anti-parallel or fly-back diode. Along with diode components, the EZ-GaN power conversation system eliminates the cost, space and energy loss associated with them, resulting in a compact, higher efficiency system. Bridge circuits are used in virtually all power converters/inverters including PV inverters, motor drives, DC/DC blocks of power supplies, and many PFC circuits. 

Over the last several years, GaN semiconductors have emerged as a leading technology enabler for the next wave of compact, energy-efficient power conversion systems. With it's system, Transphorm claims it has introduced the world's first 600V GaN products. For customers looking for a roadmap to the next generation of power conversion technology, the EZ-GaN power conversation system provides a cost-effective and customisable solution ready for commercial scale. Counterparts of these patents have also issued in China, Taiwan and are pending in several other countries.

"Based on my years of experience with patent portfolios of emerging semiconductor companies, Transphorm's is the best and most complete I have ever encountered," remarked Roger Borovoy, Transphorm's IP counsel from Fish & Richardson.

"Transphorm's patent portfolio comprises fundamental IP in all key areas, ranging from material growth of GaN-on-Silicon, device structures and fabrication, and packaging and circuits, with a particularly far reaching impact on the use of GaN in applications," said Primit Parikh, Co-Founder and President,Transphorm. "No matter how other GaN providers manufacture their products, they will have to consider Transphorm's GaN bridge circuit patent family for bridge applications, by far the largest market segment for high voltage GaN."

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