Le blog de l'entreprise Supply ST GaN Power IC:GaN Driver,GaN Converter,Integrated Smart GaNs

Supply ST GaN Power IC:GaN Driver,GaN Converter,Integrated Smart GaNs

Shenzhen Mingjiada Electronics Co., Ltd. specialises in the sale of electronic components. Through consistent quality, on-time delivery and professional service, we provide our customers with an efficient, convenient and high-quality procurement experience.

Supply Advantages:

1. Guaranteed Authenticity: All chips are sourced directly from manufacturers’ channels, and we provide traceable documentation to ensure there are no refurbished products or loose new items.

2. Ample and Stable Stock: We maintain sufficient stock at all times to support sample orders, small-batch prototyping and large-scale mass production, with short lead times.

3. Strict Quality Control: We ensure that all components supplied come from legitimate channels and are of reliable quality.

4. Highly competitive pricing: Through close collaboration with suppliers and efficient supply chain management, we are able to offer highly competitive prices.

I. ST GaN Driver: Precise Drive, Laying a Solid Foundation for High-Frequency, High-Efficiency Operation

The gate characteristics of GaN HEMT devices differ significantly from those of traditional silicon MOSFETs, placing extremely high demands on drive voltage, drive speed, timing accuracy and immunity to interference. Ordinary silicon-based drivers cannot meet the high-frequency operating requirements of GaN devices, and are prone to issues such as switching distortion, device breakdown and excessive EMI. ST’s STDRIVE® series of GaN-specific drivers are drive chips tailor-made for GaN power devices. They precisely match the electrical characteristics of GaN devices, providing a stable and safe drive core for high-frequency power conversion systems.

In terms of core products and technical specifications, the STDRIVE series features high integration, ultra-fast response times and robust protection capabilities. Representative models include the STDRIVEG212, STDRIVEG610 and STDRIVEG612. Among these, the STDRIVEG610 boasts an ultra-fast turn-on time of 300 ns, making it suitable for high-frequency power conversion applications; the STDRIVEG212 and STDRIVEG612 can output precise and stable 5V dedicated gate drive signals, supporting high-voltage GaN devices rated up to 220V and 600V respectively. They perfectly match the drive threshold requirements of enhancement-mode GaN HEMTs, completely eliminating the issues of overvoltage breakdown and surging power dissipation caused by insufficient drive.

Compared to general-purpose drivers, ST’s GaN drivers offer multiple key advantages. Firstly, they offer strong high-frequency adaptability, supporting MHz-level high-frequency switching operation, which fully unleashes the high-frequency performance of GaN devices, helping power supplies to increase power density and reduce the size of passive components such as transformers and capacitors; Secondly, they feature comprehensive integrated protection, with built-in functions such as under-voltage lock-out (UVLO), overcurrent protection and timing logic protection, which effectively prevent device damage caused by short-circuiting between high- and low-side transistors or voltage anomalies, thereby enhancing system stability; Thirdly, they offer excellent immunity to interference; utilising a dedicated drive architecture, they precisely control the rising and falling edges of the switching signals, suppressing high-frequency switching noise and reducing the complexity of system EMI design; fourthly, they feature a compact package, utilising a compact QFN package that significantly saves PCB layout space, meeting the demands of miniaturised power supply designs.

This series of drivers is widely used in high-frequency switching power supplies, industrial inverters, motor drives, fast-charging adapters and auxiliary power supplies for new energy vehicles. They can be used in conjunction with discrete GaN devices to build power circuits, or adapted for future integrated GaN devices, making them the foundational core components of ST’s GaN power ecosystem.

II. ST GaN Converters: Monolithic Integration Simplifies Medium- and High-Voltage Power Supply Design

Addressing the industry challenges of lightweight, low-cost and mass-producible off-line power supplies for small and medium power applications, ST has launched the VIPerGaN series of high-voltage GaN power converters. These highly integrated, monolithic power ICs combine core modules—including a 700V high-voltage GaN power transistor, a quasi-resonant PWM control circuit, voltage regulation feedback and protection circuits—all within a single chip. With no need for external driver chips, they enable ‘single-chip power conversion’, greatly simplifying the design process for flyback power supplies.

The VIPerGaN series offers a comprehensive product portfolio covering the mainstream power ratings of 50W to 100W, Key models include the VIPerGaN50W, VIPerGaN65W, VIPerGaN100W and VIPerGaN100WB, all utilising a compact 5×6 mm QFN package. This compact design helps reduce the space occupied by power supply equipment by over 60 per cent, perfectly meeting the design requirements for slim and lightweight devices. Mainstream models, such as the VIPerGaN65D, support a wide input voltage range and incorporate ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) quasi-resonant technology. Combined with dynamic blanking and valley synchronisation functions, this ensures that power devices always switch in a state of minimum loss, significantly reducing switching and conduction losses whilst maintaining exceptionally high conversion efficiency under both light and full load conditions.

In terms of technical advantages, ST’s GaN converters have broken through the performance limitations of traditional silicon-based flyback power supplies. Firstly, they offer high-frequency, high-efficiency energy saving, achieving switching frequencies far exceeding those of traditional silicon devices, thereby reducing the requirements for passive component parameters whilst significantly improving the overall conversion efficiency of the unit, meeting stringent energy-saving standards such as Tier 6; Secondly, the design is extremely simple and suitable for mass production; the single-chip integrated architecture significantly reduces the number of peripheral components, lowering PCB routing complexity and material costs whilst shortening product development cycles; finally, operation is silent and low-noise, with the quasi-resonant operating mode effectively suppressing switching noise, resolving the high-frequency whining issues associated with traditional power supplies and making them suitable for noise-sensitive applications such as smart home and audio-visual equipment.

Currently, the VIPerGaN series of converters is widely used in applications such as fast-charging adapters for mobile phones and laptops, smart home power supplies, auxiliary power supplies for televisions, and small-to-medium-power offline industrial power supplies; it is a core product driving the widespread adoption of small-to-medium-power GaN power supplies.

III. ST’s Integrated Smart GaNs (MasterGaN Series): System-in-Package (SiP), High-End Power Core

For high-end power applications requiring medium to high power, high reliability and high integration, ST has launched the MasterGaN series of integrated smart GaN devices. Utilising advanced System-in-Package (SiP) technology, these represent high-end smart power devices and are the core flagship products of ST’s GaN technology. This series of devices overcomes the limitations of discrete component combinations by highly integrating GaN power transistors, dedicated gate drivers, bootstrap diodes, protection circuits and even LDO voltage regulator modules, forming an integrated half-bridge topology power unit that combines high performance, high integration and high intelligence.

The classic MASTERGAN1 model serves as the base smart GaN device, integrating two enhancement-mode GaN transistors with a 650V rating and 150mΩ on-resistance, paired with dedicated high-side and low-side gate drivers and an integrated bootstrap diode. This eliminates the need for an external bootstrap circuit, simplifying the construction of the half-bridge topology. The device incorporates a comprehensive set of protection mechanisms, including dual-side (high and low voltage) UVLO under-voltage protection, over-temperature protection and over-current protection, effectively preventing device damage caused by abnormal operating conditions and making it suitable for demanding industrial and new energy applications.

The upgraded MASTERGAN6 and MASTERGAN7 series represent a technological breakthrough, being among the industry’s first GaN smart devices to integrate a built-in LDO voltage regulator module. They are capable of self-powering without the need for an external regulated power supply, further simplifying peripheral circuit design. Furthermore, these devices support negative voltage tolerance down to –6 V, making them suitable for hard-switching topologies. Their resistance to interference and voltage surges has been significantly enhanced, resulting in a comprehensive upgrade in system stability and adaptability, thereby meeting the demands of high-power conversion applications with more stringent requirements.

The core advantages of the MasterGaN series are centred on three key dimensions. Firstly, extreme integration: a single device realises the full functionality of a half-bridge power topology, replacing the traditional combination of multiple discrete components and driver chips, thereby significantly reducing system size and minimising parasitic parameters in the wiring; Secondly, high-frequency, high-performance operation: leveraging the characteristics of GaN material and optimised drive timing, it supports high-frequency operation with a power density far exceeding that of silicon-based solutions, making it suitable for applications such as PFC+LLC resonant power supplies rated at 200W and above, ultra-slim television power supplies, and high-power industrial power supplies; Thirdly, intelligent and highly reliable: a comprehensive set of built-in protection mechanisms combined with stable drive timing control effectively suppresses parasitic oscillations and through-current risks, reducing the probability of system failure and making the solution suitable for demanding operating conditions involving long-term continuous operation.

This series of devices is primarily used in mid-to-high-end power conversion applications, such as high-end high-power fast charging, industrial switching power supplies, new energy storage power supplies, and high-power supply systems for high-end household appliances. It represents a core solution for the miniaturisation and efficiency upgrades of high-power power supplies.

IV. Comparison of ST’s Three Major GaN Power IC Categories

ST’s three-tier GaN product system—comprising drivers, converters and smart integrated devices—has established a comprehensive and differentiated market presence, precisely meeting market demands at various levels. GaN-specific drivers, as the foundational core, are compatible with customised discrete circuit designs and offer the highest level of flexibility; GaN monolithic converters are geared towards standardised small-to-medium power applications, drastically simplifying design and reducing costs, and are well-suited to the mass market for consumer fast charging; integrated smart GaN devices focus on high-end medium-to-high power applications, meeting advanced requirements in industries such as industrial and new energy through high integration, high intelligence and high reliability.

Compared with similar products in the industry, ST’s full range of GaN power ICs, backed by mature SiP packaging technology, proprietary drive algorithms and comprehensive protection mechanisms, effectively addresses pain points in GaN device applications—such as high-frequency interference, poor stability, design complexity and inconsistent mass production—thereby significantly lowering the barrier to entry for GaN technology. At the same time, the comprehensive product portfolio covers power scenarios ranging from tens of watts to hundreds of watts, helping multiple sectors—including consumer electronics, industrial control and new energy—to achieve efficient, compact and intelligent upgrades to their power systems, whilst continuously driving the industrialisation of third-generation semiconductor power technology.