Infineon releases GaN switch with monolithic bidirectional design

Infineon Technologies AG is introducing the CoolGaN bidirectional switch (BDS) 650 V G5, a gallium nitride (GaN) switch capable of actively blocking voltage and current in both directions. Featuring a common-drain design and a double-gate structure, it leverages Infineon’s robust gate injection transistor (GIT) technology to deliver a monolithic bidirectional switch, enabled by Infineon’s CoolGaN technology. The device serves as a highly efficient replacement for traditional back-to-back configurations commonly used in converters.

The bidirectional CoolGaN switch offers several key advantages for power conversion systems. Integrating two switches in a single device simplifies the design of cycloconverter topologies, enabling single-stage power conversion and eliminating the need for multiple conversion stages. This leads to improved efficiency, increased reliability, and a more compact design. BDS-based microinverters also benefit from higher power density and reduced component count, which simplifies manufacturing and reduces costs. Additionally, the device supports advanced grid functions such as reactive power compensation and bidirectional operation.

As a result, this solution holds significant potential across a wide range of applications, including:

Microinverters: The CoolGaN bidirectional switch enables simpler and more efficient microinverter designs, reducing both size and cost. This makes microinverters more attractive for residential and commercial solar installations.

Energy Storage Systems (ESS): In ESS applications such as battery chargers and dischargers, the switch allows for more efficient and reliable energy storage and release.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging: In EV charging systems, the BDS switch supports faster, more efficient charging while also enabling vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality, where energy stored in the vehicle battery can be fed back into the grid.

Motor control: The CoolGaN BDS is ideal for use in Current Source Inverters (CSI) for industrial motor drives. Compared to traditional Voltage Source Inverters (VSI), CSIs offer benefits such as: Producing a sinusoidal output voltage, which supports longer cable runs, reduced losses, and improved fault tolerance; Replacing the DC-link capacitor with an inductor, improving high-temperature performance and short-circuit protection; Higher efficiency at partial loads, lower EMI, inherent buck-boost capability for voltage variation, and scalability for parallel operation.

These features make CSIs a more robust and efficient alternative for industrial motor applications.

AI data centers: In AI server power supplies, bidirectional switches like CoolGaN support higher switching frequencies and power density in architectures such as Vienna rectifiers and H4 PFCs. A single CoolGaN BDS can replace two conventional switches, reducing component count, cost, size, and overall power losses.

The CoolGaN bidirectional switch (BDS) 650 V G5 is available for ordering now as well as samples of the 110 mΩ product.