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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) announced that the EPC2366, a 40 V enhancement-mode GaN (eGaN®) power transistor, has received the EPDT 2025 Product of the Year Award in the Power Transistor category. The recognition highlights EPC’s leadership in GaN technology for high-efficiency, high-power-density systems spanning data centers, robotics and AI infrastructure.
The EPC2366 targets fast-switching, low-loss applications and is positioned as a superior alternative to legacy MOSFETs in 12 VOUT synchronous rectifiers. It features an ultra-low RDS(on) of 0.8 mΩ and a gate-charge-based figure of merit (RDS(on) × QG) < 12 mΩ·nC, enabling simultaneous reductions in conduction and switching losses for high-frequency power conversion.
The device supports 40 V drain-to-source operation (48 V transient), continuous drain current up to 88 A at VGS = 5 V, and ~360 A pulsed. As an enhancement-mode GaN device, it offers easy gate drive while delivering GaN advantages such as zero reverse-recovery charge and very low output capacitance, which reduce deadtime losses and boost half-bridge and synchronous rectifier efficiency.
Thermal performance is optimized via a compact 3.3 × 2.6 mm PQFN with backside thermal pad. Typical thermal metrics include RθJC ≈ 0.6 °C/W and RθJB ≈ 1.8 °C/W; junction-to-ambient ranges from ~54 °C/W on a JEDEC board to ~26 °C/W on EPC’s recommended evaluation layout. With proper PCB copper spreading and layout, the device supports reliable operation up to a 150 °C maximum junction temperature.
To accelerate design-in, EPC offers the EPC90167 half-bridge evaluation board featuring two EPC2366 devices in a low-parasitic layout. The platform supports 7.5–12 V gate drive, standard PWM logic levels, and single- or dual-input PWM modes (with managed deadtime), providing a practical reference for DC-DC converters, motor drives and other high-current, high-speed stages. Clearly marked test points and recommended bring-up procedures help engineers evaluate switching behavior, thermals and system performance quickly.
“The EPC2366 showcases our ongoing commitment to help engineers design smaller, faster, and more efficient systems that meet the power demands of tomorrow,” said Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of EPC. EPDT Editor Mike Green added, “The differentiation achieved with this device, in terms of FoM and power density, will be of clear value to next-generation power system design.”
Optimized for secondary-side synchronous rectification in 48 V–12 V LLC converters, the EPC2366’s leading FoM enables higher switching frequencies and improved efficiency, making it a strong fit for high-density power supplies in AI data centers and other performance-driven applications.
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
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Wolfspeed, Inc. announced successful production of a single-crystal 300 mm (12-inch) silicon carbide wafer. Backed by one of the industry’s largest silicon carbide IP portfolios—more than 2,300 issued and pending patents worldwide—the company is pioneering the transition to 300 mm and setting a path toward future volume commercialization.
The advance represents a meaningful step for next-generation computing platforms, immersive AR/VR systems, and high-efficiency power devices. By extending silicon carbide to 300 mm, Wolfspeed is opening new performance thresholds and manufacturing scalability for demanding semiconductor applications.
“Producing a 300 mm single crystal silicon carbide wafer is a significant technology achievement and the result of years of focused innovation in crystal growth, boule and wafer processing,” said Elif Balkas, Chief Technology Officer at Wolfspeed. “It positions Wolfspeed to support the industry’s most transformative technologies, especially critical elements of the AI ecosystem, immersive augmented and virtual reality systems, and other advanced power device applications.”
Wolfspeed’s 300 mm platform is designed to unify high-volume silicon carbide manufacturing for power electronics with advanced capabilities in high-purity semi-insulating substrates used in optical and RF systems. This convergence enables a new class of wafer-scale integration across optical, photonic, thermal, and power domains.
As AI workloads drive data centers toward their power limits, the 300 mm silicon carbide platform will help integrate high-voltage power delivery, advanced thermal solutions, and active interconnects at wafer scale—pushing system performance beyond conventional transistor scaling. In AR/VR, silicon carbide’s material properties—including mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and optical refractive control—support compact, lightweight architectures that pair high-brightness displays with effective thermal management.
Beyond AI and AR/VR, moving silicon carbide to 300 mm enhances the ability to scale production of advanced power devices for applications such as high-voltage grid transmission and next-generation industrial systems, improving economics and long-term supply assurance.
“This 300 mm breakthrough is more than a technical milestone—it unlocks new opportunities for silicon carbide as a strategic material,” said Poshun Chiu, Principal Analyst, Compound Semiconductor, Yole Group. “It clearly demonstrates that silicon carbide is advancing to the next level of manufacturing maturity required for the coming decade of electrification, digitalization, and AI, and provides the market with a credible roadmap toward higher-volume production, improved economics and long-term supply assurance.”
Original – Wolfspeed
