مدونة الشركة حول Supply ST GaN Power IC:GaN Driver,High Voltage GaN Converter,Integrated Smart GaN

Supply ST GaN Power IC:GaN Driver,High Voltage GaN Converter,Integrated Smart GaN

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I. GaN Drivers: High-Performance Discrete Driver Cores, Suitable for Flexible Topology Designs

GaN drivers are the fundamental core components of ST’s GaN power system. They are primarily used to provide precise, high-speed and stable gate drive signals to external GaN power transistors, resolving key issues such as drive matching, signal interference and timing discrepancies during the high-frequency switching of GaN devices. They are suitable for power supply design scenarios requiring flexible power topology configuration and high-power scaling. Compared to traditional silicon MOS drivers, ST’s GaN drivers have been specifically optimised for the characteristics of GaN HEMTs, fully unleashing the performance advantages of GaN’s high-frequency, low-loss operation.

In terms of core technical characteristics, ST’s GaN drivers feature high-speed switching response, supporting high-frequency switching at hundreds of kHz, which aligns with the high-frequency operating characteristics of GaN devices and effectively enhances power supply power density; They incorporate precise dead-time control and hardware interlock functions, completely eliminating the risk of direct conduction between the upper and lower switches, preventing power supply short-circuit faults and significantly enhancing system stability. Furthermore, the devices integrate a bootstrap diode and high-voltage level-shifting circuitry, simplifying peripheral circuit layout, reducing the number of discrete components, and lowering PCB layout complexity and bill of materials costs.

Furthermore, ST’s GaN drivers are equipped with comprehensive protection mechanisms, including high-side and low-side under-voltage lock-out (UVLO), over-temperature protection and drive overcurrent protection. These features enable rapid shutdown of the output in the event of low-voltage anomalies, high-temperature overloads or drive malfunctions, ensuring the safe operation of power devices. With a wide operating voltage range suitable for industrial-grade wide-temperature environments and strong resistance to electromagnetic interference, these devices are ideally suited to mainstream power supply architectures such as LLC resonant converters, PFC boost circuits, and half-bridge/full-bridge power topologies.

These products are primarily used in medium-to-high-power applications of 200W and above, including high-power OLED television power supplies, industrial switching power supplies, auxiliary power supplies for new energy systems, and high-end server power supplies. When paired with external high-voltage GaN power transistors, they enable the design of highly efficient and flexible high-power power supply systems.

II. High-Voltage GaN Converters: Single-chip integrated high-voltage power stages—the preferred choice for lightweight, high-efficiency power supplies

ST’s high-voltage GaN converters are characterised by high integration, high-voltage tolerance, silent operation, low power consumption and minimal peripheral components. They are primarily targeted at small-to-medium-power off-line power supply applications. A representative product is the VIPerGaN series, an integrated power conversion chip developed by STMicroelectronics for consumer fast charging and small auxiliary power supplies. Devices in this series fully integrate a 700V high-voltage GaN HEMT power transistor, a quasi-resonant PWM controller, a high-voltage start-up circuit and an adaptive control module onto a single chip, thereby overcoming the complex architecture of traditional discrete solutions.

In terms of performance, the VIPerGaN series boasts exceptional high-voltage withstand capability, with a steady-state withstand voltage of 700V and a maximum transient withstand voltage of up to 800V, enabling it to effectively withstand mains surges and voltage spikes, and making it suitable for complex domestic mains environments. The chip utilises a quasi-resonant operating mode, combined with dynamic blanking time and adjustable valley synchronisation technology, to achieve high efficiency across the entire load range and significantly reduce switching losses. Compared to traditional silicon-based flyback power supplies, conversion efficiency is improved by 5% to 8%, with full-load efficiency reaching over 92%.

Silent operation is a key highlight of this series. Leveraging ST’s proprietary GaN noise-reduction control technology, the chip achieves inaudible noise across the entire load range, completely resolving the whining issues associated with traditional switching power supplies and making it suitable for quiet usage scenarios such as homes and offices. Furthermore, the device supports high-frequency switching up to 240 kHz, which significantly reduces the size of passive components such as transformers and capacitors, cutting the overall space requirements of the unit by more than 60 per cent and making it ideally suited for the design of compact fast-charging devices.

The product range covers 50W, 65W, 100W, with standby power consumption below 30mW, meeting global Tier 6 energy efficiency standards. They also feature comprehensive built-in protection against overvoltage, overcurrent, overtemperature and short circuits. Housed in a compact 5×6mm QFN package, they minimise PCB footprint and are widely used in medium-to-low power applications such as USB-PD fast-charging adaptors, small appliance power supplies, smart home auxiliary power supplies and compact battery chargers.

III. Integrated Smart GaN (MasterGaN Series): System-in-Package (SiP), the benchmark for high-end, high-density power supplies

Centred on the MasterGaN series, the Integrated Smart GaN represents the high-end flagship product of ST’s GaN technology. Utilising a System-in-Package (SiP) design, it integrates a half-bridge gate driver, dual 600V/650V enhancement-mode GaN power transistors for the high and low sides, a bootstrap circuit, protection circuits and an interlock control unit all integrated onto a single chip. It is a truly ‘one-stop half-bridge power solution’, completely revolutionising the traditional discrete architecture of half-bridge power supplies.

In terms of core hardware configuration, the MasterGaN series adopts an asymmetric half-bridge architecture with a differentiated design for the high-side and low-side GaN devices. The low-side on-resistance is as low as 225 mΩ, whilst the high-side is 450 mΩ, precisely matching the operating characteristics of the half-bridge topology whilst balancing conduction losses and voltage rating stability. The device inherently possesses the zero reverse recovery loss characteristic of GaN, completely eliminating the losses and electromagnetic interference caused by diode reverse recovery, resulting in exceptionally prominent energy efficiency advantages under high-frequency operating conditions.

Intelligent design and reliability are the core strengths of this series. The chip incorporates multiple safety mechanisms, including built-in hardware dead-time interlock, independent high-side and low-side UVLO, precise over-temperature protection, and cycle-by-cycle current-limiting protection, enabling highly reliable operation without the need for external auxiliary protection circuits; The integration of a dedicated bootstrap diode eliminates the need for external bootstrap components, further simplifying the peripheral circuitry. Furthermore, the chip supports wide-band, high-frequency operation and is compatible with PFC+LLC hybrid topologies, enabling ultra-high power density power supply designs ranging from 200W to 350W+. It is widely used in applications such as ultra-slim television power supplies, high-power industrial power supplies and high-end energy storage converters.

Housed in a compact 9×9 mm GQFN package with excellent thermal performance, and combined with a minimalist peripheral circuit design, it can significantly shorten power supply R&D cycles and reduce the failure rate of the complete system. Compared to traditional discrete silicon-based half-bridge solutions, MasterGaN can reduce the overall system volume by more than 40 per cent and improve energy efficiency by 6–10 per cent, making it one of the optimal solutions for medium- to high-power, high-density and high-reliability power supply designs.

IV. Key Differences and Selection Guidelines for the Three Categories of ST GaN Power ICs

Based on varying levels of integration and power ratings, the three categories of ST GaN power ICs form a comprehensive, complementary product portfolio to meet diverse design requirements: GaN drivers are discrete drive solutions offering the highest flexibility; they are suitable for high-end industrial power supplies requiring high power and custom topologies, and can be freely combined with external power transistors to achieve power scaling; High-voltage GaN converters are single-chip integrated power solutions offering excellent value for money and minimal peripheral components, primarily targeting small-to-medium power consumer applications in the 50–100 W range; integrated smart GaN solutions represent high-end system-level SiP solutions, offering optimal integration, reliability and power density, and are suited to high-end medium-to-high-power power supply applications of 200 W and above.