Infineon ships first 900-volt GaN switches that conduct in both directions
The gallium nitride chips will go into an Enphase solid-state transformer for data centers. A single device blocks and conducts in both directions, cutting conversion stages.
Photo: Mucber / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Infineon said on Oct. 26 it is supplying U.S. company Enphase with what it calls the world's first 900-volt monolithic bidirectional switches made of gallium nitride (GaN). Such a device blocks voltage and conducts current in both directions, a job that previously required several separate components.
Enphase plans to use the chips in its IQ SST solid-state transformer for data centers. The companies say fewer conversion stages and components mean higher efficiency and reliability, while high-frequency switching allows smaller magnetic parts. The switches have been successfully tested, with production qualification to follow.
"Moving to 900V gives us more voltage headroom while retaining the benefits of high-frequency switching," Enphase CTO Hans van Antwerpen said. The two firms already cooperate: Enphase's IQ9 microinverters use Infineon 650-volt GaN chips.