IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - March 2015 - 44

Annual Market Size (US$ Million)

half-bridge integrated circuits
(ICs) and is also working on
CAGR 2015-2020
1,000
integrating drivers on-chip
900
with plans to introduce such
800
+22%
integrated solutions in the
700
second half of 2015. A 450-V
600
eGaN part is also in the works.
500
400
On the high-voltage end,
300
Transphorm
is offering eight
+85%
200
600-V normally off GaN-on-Si
100
SiC
high-electron-mobility transis0
tors (HEMTs) and two three2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
GaN
phase bridge modules. These
Year
Joint Electron Device Engineerfig 1 Despite modest growth in 2014, Yole is forecasting an over US$550 million market for GaN
ing Council (JEDEC)-qualified
power devices by 2020. CAGR: compound annual growth rate. (Figure courtesy of "Power GaN
parts are available through
Market," Yole Développement, July 2014.)
distribution. Although the current
capability
is
150
mX
at
17
A in the PQFN88 package, the
as Digi-Key. The company continues to expand its product
company is developing a smaller die size with higher current
portfolio with plans to introduce the fifth-generation eGaN
capability. A 75 mX at 30 A HEMT is being constructed with
FETs in the first quarter. According to EPC Chief Executive
the goal of achieving 45 mX at 50 A. Advanced packages are
Officer Alex Lidow, "Fifth-generation eGaN FETs will offer
in development to handle high current from smaller die sizes.
significant improvement in on-resistance per unit area as
Concurrently, Transphorm is also readying higher-voltage parts
well as improved switching performance."
based on the current process. According to Carl Blake, a conThere are a number of emerging applications, ranging
sultant to Transphorm and president of CBK Consulting, relifrom envelope tracking to light detection and ranging and
ability tests have shown that current 600-V parts are capable of
dc-dc converters for wireless power, where eGaN FETs are
handling 21,000 V. Besides demonstrating excellent reliability
being investigated. In fact, according to EPC, eGaN-based
wireless power will become commercial in the first quarter
at 600 V for commercial products, Transphorm researchers
of 2015. Meanwhile, EPC continues to develop GaN-based
recently demonstrated at the 2014 IEEE International Electron

Overall Market Size CAGR 2013-2018

45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%

Total Available Market, Time to Market, and CAGR
for GaN Applications
PFC
EV/HEV Inverter
EV/pHEV Charger
Motor Drives
UPS
Rail Traction
POL; dc-dc
PV Inverter
PV Microinverter
Wind Turbine

Bubble Size Is Related to Si Device Market as of
2013, Most Likely Accessible to GaN

0%
-5%
2010

2012
2014
2016
2020
2022
2024
Time to Market for GaN Technology
POL;
EV/HEV EV/pHEV PV
PV Micro
PFC
dc-dc
Inverter Charger Inverter Inverter
Expected Time to Market
2012
2014
2018
2016
2015
2016
for GaN
Mass Volume Introduction
CAGR 2013-2018 in%

10.5%

11.0%

32.0%

37.0%

5.8%

22%

Motor
Drives

UPS

Rail
Traction

Wind
Turbine

2016

2015

2022

2020

6.8%

2.0%

5.3%

3.3%

fig 2 Yole's report suggests that automakers will begin to adopt GaN power devices in inverters, dc-dc converters, and onboard chargers,
generating revenue of US$150 million by 2020. POL: point of load. (Figure courtesy of "Power GaN Market" report, Yole Développement,
July 2014.)

IEEE PowEr ElEctronIcs MagazInE

z March 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - March 2015