GaN makes powerful statement at APEC

Attending the Applied Power Electronics Conference

(APEC) this spring certainly provided me with deeper insights into the world of the power electronics industr y. An annual event that puts specific focus on the practical and applied aspects of new power components –APEC delivered just that with many exhibits, expert-led courses and special presentations. The one definable take-away for me –was that Gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors were the stars of the show.

In a relatively short period of time, GaN has created an innovative shift throughout the power electronics world. For decades, silicon-based MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) have been an integral part of the everyday modern world that helps convert energy to power.

However, we are reaching the theoretical limit on how much silicon MOSFETs can be improved, how power-efficient they can be. With increasing power density and efficiency requirements and environmental pollution regulations trends, silicon is f ailing to meet these modern demands.

Replacing silicon

GaN is on the rise to replace silicon as the backbone of power switching technology, as it can meet the growing needs with better power systems efficiency, performance and system cost. As most in design circles are aware, the GaN semiconductor devices market continues to see increasing demand – driven mostly by the rise in use of power electronics across various design applications and many industries - such as automotive, aerospace, defense and consumer electronics.

GaN devices are created by depositing a compound called gallium nitride on silicon to produce components that are smaller and lighter than existing silicon-only transistor chips, but also faster and more energy efficient as they convert high-voltage power into usable currents within machines.

GaN devices offer several advantages over traditional silicon-based devices, such as higher power density, higher efficiency, and faster switching speed, making them suitable for power electronics applications.

Additionally, the growing adoption of renewable energy sources and the increasing focus on energy efficiency have also contributed to the growth of the market. The rising demand for wireless charging devices and electric vehicles is expected to further drive the market growth.

Adding to the GaN intrigue from a localized level, one of Canada’s most promising semiconductor makers, GaN Systems Inc., was purchased by German chip giant Infineon Technologies AG this spring. Sold for the pricetag of US$830-million, the Ottawa-based leader in developing GaN-based solutions for power conversion – will “significantly accelerate Infineon’s GaN roadmap, based on unmatched R&D resources, application understanding and customer project pipeline,” according to Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck.

In an industry forecast delivered earlier this year by GaN Systems, it stated that the electronics industry is at the inflection point in GaN development. The power semiconductor has established itself as a preferred product solution across multiple market segments.

Several advantages

Purely from a designer’s perspective, GaN semiconductors h ave several advantages over traditional silicon-based semiconductors in electronic designs. Some of the biggest advantages of GaN semiconductors include:

• Higher efficiency: GaN semiconductors can operate at higher voltages and temperatures with lower on-state resistance and switching losses, resulting in higher efficienc y and lower power consumption.

• Faster switching speed: GaN devices have faster switching speeds compared to traditional silicon-based devices, allowing for higher frequency operation and smaller, more compact designs.

• Higher power density: GaN devices can handle higher power densities than traditional silicon-based devices, enabling more power to be packed into smaller footprints.

• Better ther mal conductivity: GaN has higher thermal conductivity than silicon, improving heat dissipation.

• Wide operating temperature range: GaN devices can operate at higher temperatures than silicon-based devices, making them suitable for harsh environments.

According to several market reports, the unique characteristics and advantages of GaN de vices make them highly attractive, in addition to their increasing cost-effectiveness.

It goes to show – designing with GaN makes powerful statement.

STEPHEN

LAW

Editor slaw@ept.ca

Canada’s information leader for electronic engineers and designers

MAY/JUNE 2023

Volume 45, Number4

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Medtech

Molli Surgical Unveils Medtech Devices

Toronto-based medtech biz MOLLI Surgical is pushing the boundaries of precision surgery with the launch of two new productsMOLLI 2 and MOLLI re.markable. Paving the way for next gen healthcare, one device ensures cancerous lesions are accurately marked. The units elevate the patient experience, refine precision surgery, and aim to boost physicians’ confidence.

“The release of these two new products demonstrates our continued rapid pace of evolution in our technology,” added Ananth Ravi, president & CEO of MOLLI Surgical. “Our approach to innovation has always kept patient experience at the forefront.”

Education

UWATERLOO & VELOCITY EXPAND INNOVATION PRESENCE

The University of Waterloo and Velocity are officially expanding their presence in downtown Kitchener at the new Innovation Arena building on Waterloo’s Health Sciences campus.

The Innovation Arena will feature collaborative spaces to inspire partnerships and facilitate exchanges between businesses, founders, researchers and community partners. The space will also be the new home of Velocity, Waterloo’s signature entrepreneurship program. The new, purpose-built space will allow Velocity to streamline commercialization, fast-track

2018 to engineer its first vehicle, a 4x4 fossil-fuel powered vehicle called the Grenadier.

Magna is also working to increase its EV-related production in Canada, announcing in February a $471 million investment across six Ontario locations to expand its EV parts capacity.

Ford To Produce Evs In Oakville

entrepreneurs, and support the global economy.

This partnership will strengthen the Canadian tech ecosystem, specifically in the health and medtech sector, by supporting innovators and entrepreneurs from start to scale, providing companies with business, clinical, regulatory, and fundraising expertise and access to labs, facilities, and equipment. Parts of the funding will be allocated to lab equipment for Waterloo’s Innovation Arena.

Electric Vehicles

Magna To Build Offroad Evs For Ineos

Magna International Inc. will engineer and build electric off-road vehicles for U.K.-based industrial conglomerate Ineos Group Ltd. The contract indicates that the vehicles will be produced at its facility in Graz, Austria with a 2026 expected start. Magna began working with Ineos in

Ford Motor Co. has revealed details of its plan to spend $1.8 billion an its Oakville Assembly Complex to turn it into an electric vehicle production hub. The automaker says it will start retooling the Ontario complex in the second quarter of 2024 and being producing electric vehicles in 2025.

General Motors is already producing electric delivery vans in Canada, but Ford says this is the first time a fullline automaker has announced plans to produce passenger EVs in Canada for the North American market.

Ford says the transformation of the Oakville site, to be renamed the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex, will include a new 407,000 squarefoot battery plant where parts from U.S. operations will be assembled into battery packs.

Haptics

Boreas Nets Oem Design Wins

Boréas Technologies, a Bromont-based developer of low-power piezo dr ivers, is entering mass production with three major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the PC and IoT market.

The design wins with three major brands will allow Boréas Technologies to bring its cutting-edge technology to a broad audience and make a significant impact on the tech industry, according to Simon Chaput, CEO of Boréas Technologies. Chaput is confident that his firm’s piezo haptic solutions will quickly become a musthave feature for consumers and is excited to see its positive impact on the market.

“We are thrilled to be entering mass production with those major OEMs” Chaput said. “We believe that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way people interact with their devices, and we are excited about the piezo haptic market growth that is happening.”

Semiconductors

GORDON MOORE, INTEL CO-FOUNDER, DIES AT 94

Intel and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced that company co-founder Gordon Moore passed away this March at the age of 94.

In addition to Moore’s seminal role in founding two of the world’s pioneering technology companies, he famously forecast in 1965 that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every year – a prediction that came to be known as Moore’s Law.

“All I was trying to do was get that message across, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper,” Moore said in a 2008 inter view.

With his 1965 prediction proven correct, in 1975 Moore revised his estimate to the doubling of transistors on an integrated circuit every two years for the next 10 years. Regardless, the idea of chip technology growing at an exponential rate, continually making electronics faster, smaller and cheaper, became the driving force behind the semiconductor industry and paved the way for the ubiquitous use of chips in millions of everyday products.

C2mi Partners With Blackpearl Tech Group

The BOS1901 piezo haptic driver uses the state-of-the-art CapDrive technology circuit architecture.

With the aim to strengthen the resilience of the critical North American semiconductor supply chain - the BlackPearl group of companies, a global designer and manufacturer of electronic products, has reached a partnership with MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI), based in Bromont, Québec.

BlackPearl’s role is to assist the hundreds of companies within the C2MI ecosystem with development, commercialization of their products, as well as oversight and management of the SMT line in this unique stateof-the-art facility. C2MI is among the largest research and development centers in Canada dedicated solely to microelectronic systems. C2MI is at the core of many industrial sectors, integrating components essential to the use and deployment of digital technologies.

Patents

Blackberry To Sell Non Core Patents

BlackBerry Ltd. has signed a deal to sell a portfolio of non-core patents related to mobile devices, messaging and wireless networking to Malikie Innovations Ltd., a newly formed subsidiary of Key Patent Innovations Ltd.

BlackBer ry will also receive annual cash royalties from the profits generated from the patents that will initially be capped at US$700 million. The cap is subject to an annual increase of an amount equal to four per cent of the remaining portion of the US$700 million that has not been paid to BlackBerry as of the date of the increase.

AI ENGINEERING PLATFORM USES AI, SMART ALGORITHMS

CELUS GmbH, a deep tech software company based in Munich, Germany, has rolled-out a brand-new engineering platform with the mission to accelerate innovations in electronic design using smart algorithms and AI.

The platform, released this spring in a beta platform, is giving electronics designers the opportunity to pioneer the software, receive first-hand training from CELUS, and access the private beta community.

“Our solution uses a high level of automation to turn ideas into electronic designs, boosting collaboration and productivity,” says CELUS CEO Tobias Pohl. Suitable for engineers, designers, enthusiasts and hobbyists, CELUS has already opened up new levels of efficiency and quality assurance to electronic engineering professionals, distributors, and component manufacturers worldwide.

Noze Builds Medtech Breathalyzer

Montreal-based AI start-up Noze has developed leading technology to digitize the sense of smell. Powered by its platfor m, the breathalyzer detects breath biomarkers (VOCs). This enables rapid screening and diagnostics of infectious diseases such as malar ia and tuberculosis, that impact millions of people, particularly in developing countries.

Healthcare screenings and diagnostics are often time consuming, i nvasive, costly and not readily accessible to all population groups. To remedy this situation, Noze and the foundation have turned to a ground-breaking, yet largely overlooked source of health information: smell.

“Exhaled breath offers an incredibly revealing picture of a person’s cur rent health due to the efficient exchange that takes place between the blood and the air in the lungs,” says Karim Aly, CEO at Noze.

Noze