New high-speed gate driver IC maximizes performance of GaN power switches
The BD2311NVX-LB gate driver from ROHM features an ultra-short gate-input pulse width to enable GaN HEMTs to switch extremely fast, helping power-system designers to achieve very high efficiency and power density.
ROHM Semiconductor has introduced a gate driver IC, the BD2311NVX-LB, which is optimized for gallium nitride (GaN) power switches, achieving gate drive speeds measured in nanoseconds.
The BD2311NVX-LB features a minimum gate-input pulse width of 1.25 ns. This enables the development of power systems that take full advantage of the fast switching capability of GaN transistors, a feature that contributes to the production of smaller and more energy efficient power supplies and power converters.
The BD2311NVX-LB is particularly well suited to use in power supplies that require high power density – data center and telecoms servers are a notable example. LiDAR ranging, used not only in autonomous and assisted driving but also for monitoring industrial equipment and infrastructure, also demands high-speed pulsed laser light, and this gate driver is ideal for this application as well.
As a single gate driver for a GaN high electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), the BD2311NVX-LB can supply a current of 7 A, and offers under-voltage lockout protection.
The BD2311NVX-LB is supplied in a 6-pin SON package which has a footprint of 2 mm x 2 mm.