PCIM 2025 KEYNOTES Monolithically integrated GaN HEMT Bi-Directional Switch

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ROHM Semiconductor GmbH

Rogers Corporation

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Gallium-Nitride Bi-Directional Switch technology has just recently reached commercial maturity. This paper starts by looking at the historical application for power converter topologies that require the use of BDS devices, then focuses on explaining the unique value proposition for monolithically integrated GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor BDS devices for use in a broad range of low power AC:DC and DC:AC applications.

The decarbonization of energy supply is driving an increasing need for switched mode power conversion technology – this common underlying technology is extensively used in PV inverters, wind energy generators, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Electric Vehicle (EV) motor drives, EV on-board chargers, EV off-board rapid chargers, as well as an array of various smart-grid power converter devices ¹. The growing market size for power conversion applications has resulted in increased investment into the underlying semiconductor power switch technology development with a goal of improving the performance-to-cost ratio for power switch devices, to provide a competitive market advantage resulting in the ability to capture a larger market share for these investing companies ². Monolithically integrated GaN HEMT Bi-Directional Switch (BDS) technology represents a significant paradigm shift for

power converter applications ³. This technology has now reached technical maturity and fully JEDEC qualified devices are commercially available from three independent semiconductor companies.