VisIC and AVL are working on gallium nitride inverters for electric cars
The partners state that they will equip suppliers and OEMs in the automotive industry with power semiconductors based on gallium nitride (GaN) technology as part of their collaboration. The material is said to offer added value compared to silicon or silicon carbide – for example, through higher power density, higher efficiency and reduced sizes, especially at higher switching frequencies. These properties enable energy savings and smaller form factors, making GaN suitable for various applications – including electric cars.
AVL recently tested one of the Israelis‘ core products (’GaN-on-Silicon D³GaN”) and reported the following results: “Mounted on AVL’s e-motor test bench and controlled by AVLs SOP eDrive controls algorithm, the system achieved a benchmark efficiency level of 99.67% at 10kHz.” The value even rose to over 99.8% at 5 kHz, which means the technology outperforms comparable SiC inverters by up to 0.5 % and reduces energy losses by more than 60%, according to an accompanying press release.
In addition to the technical aspects, the GaN-on-silicon power semiconductors from VisIC are also said to offer ecological advantages. According to AVL, they require significantly less energy during production than SiC products. They can also be manufactured in the widely used 200 mm and 300 mm silicon semiconductor factories.
“With AVL, we’re making cutting-edge GaN inverter technology accessible for even more electric vehicles, establishing a new benchmark for efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the industry,” said Gregory Bunin, CTO of VisIC Technologies. “Our partnership reflects a shared commitment to driving EV innovation that’s both impactful and accessible, bringing GaN’s unparalleled performance to a broader market.”
“Working with VisIC’s new GaN power module for high-power systems enables us to offer our customers cutting-edge solutions that are optimally aligned with the requirements of next-generation drive systems. These include, among other things, high power density combined with reduced overall system costs,” added Dr. Thomas Frey, Head of Segment E-Mobility & E-Drive System at AVL Software and Functions GmbH. “Together, we can significantly advance e-mobility and help reduce the carbon footprint.”
AVL and VisIC are also planning to expand the portfolio to include 800-volt power modules made of gallium nitride. In this way, the duo wants to ensure that the technology can be further adapted to the needs of the electric vehicle industry and remains scalable.
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