Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor which offers superior characteristics compared to older silicon equivalents, including the ability to switch up to 20x faster and increase power density by over 3x times. Implementing GaN power devices into a motor-drive system for PFC and inverter stages provides a significant reduction in power losses, and size, enabling the integration of the inverter with the motor. In this article, a 400 W reference design for a motor integrated inverter created by Navitas is explained in detail.
Article written by: Alfred Hesener, Senior Director Industrial and Consumer, Navitas Semiconductor