STMicroelectronics has expanded its MasterGaN family of integrated gallium nitride (GaN) power devices with the launch of MasterGaN7, a new series featuring 650V enhancement-mode transistors and a maximum current rating of 6A.
The devices are designed to improve energy efficiency and power density in applications including power adapters, battery chargers, industrial lighting, and solar microinverters.
MasterGaN7 integrates two 650V GaN transistors in a half-bridge configuration alongside a high-voltage, high-frequency gate driver. Housed in a 9mm x 9mm QFN package, the devices share the same pinout and footprint as other products in the MasterGaN family, allowing designers to incorporate the new series into existing designs more easily.
The latest devices also introduce integrated low-dropout (LDO) regulators to stabilise gate-drive voltage and support switching performance. A pin-controlled shutdown mode, combined with fast wake-up functionality, is designed to reduce power consumption when equipment is operating under no-load conditions.
With a propagation delay of 45ns and a short minimum on-time, MasterGaN7 devices support switching frequencies of up to 2MHz. This high-frequency operation allows designers to use smaller magnetic and passive components, potentially reducing circuit size and overall bill-of-materials (BOM) costs.
An integrated bootstrap diode supplies the high-side gate driver, further reducing the number of external components required.
The MasterGaN family supports a range of power-conversion topologies, including active-clamp flyback, asymmetrical half-bridge, inverse buck, resonant LLC, power-factor correction (PFC), and DC-to-AC inverter designs.
Integration of the transistors and driver circuitry also reduces the need for external components and simplifies circuit layout. Built-in protection features include interlocking to prevent cross-conduction, undervoltage lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown.
STMicroelectronics said these integration features are intended to help engineers reduce system footprint, simplify development, and lower component costs across a range of power-conversion applications.
The MasterGaN7 series operates across a temperature range of -40°C to 125°C and is now in production. Pricing starts at $3.83 per unit for orders of 1,000 pieces.
STMicroelectronics has also made its EVLMG7 evaluation board available through its eStore to support hardware testing and accelerate the development of applications using the new devices.
