Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor developer VisIC Technologies and mobility technology company AVL have integrated VisIC’s D³GaN power modules into the traction inverter of an AVL vehicle demonstrator.

The demonstrator, a platform for evaluating electric propulsion technologies, combines the GaN inverter with an e-axle, power electronics and vehicle control technologies. The project includes technology from AVL, NXP Semiconductors and VisIC.

The companies say that in earlier WLTC drive-cycle testing on AVL’s e-motor test bench in Germany, an inverter using VisIC’s D³GaN technology achieved 99.67% efficiency at 10 kHz and more than 99.8% at 5 kHz. They say the inverter showed an improvement over comparable SiC inverters and a reduction in inverter energy losses of more than 60% under the tested conditions. The inverter was developed with an NXP driver, AVL’s PI850e Inverter Development Platform and AVL control software.

VisIC’s D³GaN technology is designed to combine low switching and conduction losses with high power density for high-power automotive applications. Reducing switching losses during partial-load operation can improve inverter efficiency and reduce cooling requirements.

AVL and VisIC previously announced plans to extend VisIC’s GaN-on-silicon platform toward 800 V power modules for higher-voltage battery and drivetrain systems. The companies say the GaN-on-silicon approach can use established silicon manufacturing infrastructure and is compatible with 200 mm and 300 mm silicon foundries.

“Bringing D³GaN from the test bench into a fully operational vehicle is an important milestone for high-power GaN,” said Tamara Baksht, CEO of VisIC Technologies. “The AVL demonstrator shows that GaN is no longer limited to discussing future potential.

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