Half bridge gate driver boosts power density
1 min read
National Semiconductor has launched the first 100V half bridge gate driver optimised for use with enhancement mode Gallium Nitride (GaN) power field effect transistors (FETs) in high voltage power converters.
According to National, the LM5113 is a highly integrated, high side and low side GaN FET driver that reduces component count by 75% and shrinks printed circuit board area by up to 85%, compared to discrete driver designs.
Enhancement mode GaN FETs enable new levels of efficiency and power density compared to standard mosfets due to the low Rds(on) and gate charge (Qg) as well as a small footprint, but driving them reliably presents significant new challenges. National's LM5113 driver IC has been designed to eliminate the challenges in a range of power topologies.
"National's LM5113 bridge driver helps designers unleash the performance of eGaN FETs by simplifying the design," said Alex Lidow, co founder and ceo for Efficient Power Conversion Corporation. "The LM5113 dramatically reduces component count, and paired with our eGaN FETs, enables a tremendous pcb area savings and higher level of power density versus equivalent mosfet based designs."
