CGD is a fabless, clean-tech semiconductor company that is developing a range of energy-efficient GaN-based power devices to make greener electronics.
Chicony Power is a total solution provider of power electronics systems focusing on power supplies and adapters for various applications, such as notebooks, desktop computers, gaming devices, and server/cloud solutions.
Prof. Florin Udrea, the head of the High Voltage Microelectronics and Sensor (HVMS) group at Cambridge University will act as the lead consultant on behalf of CUTS. The HVMS group at Cambridge University has a long history of working in power device design, TCAD simulations and characterisation of power devices.
Together, these three parties will collaborate around a technical project entitled ‘Innovative low power and high power SMPS (switch mode power supplies) with advanced GaN solutions’.
CGD has historic and ongoing links with Cambridge University via CEO, Giorgia Longobardi, and CTO, Florin Udrea who also still leads the HVMS group.
Chicony Power is a global leader in switch mode power supplies and the HVMS group at Cambridge University has built up a reputation for their research and innovation in power semiconductor devices, so this collaboration represents the creation of a significant GaN eco-system consisting of expertise in systems and applications, research and devices.
The project is expected to deliver SMPS prototypes for highly efficient, high-density adapters for notebooks – where Chicony Power is the market leader – and Titanium+ efficiency / High Power Density (> 100W/inch3) CRPS and OCP power shelf (3kW ~ 6kW) power supply unit for data centres and AI server applications.
Commenting Giorgia Longobardi, CEO, CGD, said, “Chicony Power is one of the leading SMPS manufacturers in the world, so this agreement represents an incredible milestone in CGD’s journey to deliver an efficient power device technology both to our customers and to society in general. The combined strengths of our businesses together with the world-renowned HVMS group at Cambridge University will accelerate the development and adoption of high energy-density power solutions in wide ranging applications.”
Peter Tseng, President, Chicony Power Technology, added, “Chicony Power intends to collaborate with CGD and HVMS because of their significant expertise in GaN. CGD has already delivered its second series of ICeGaN HEMT devices which offer top-notch performance in terms of ruggedness and ease-of-use. And because of its roots and still strong links with Cambridge University, CGD can call upon 25 years of academic experience – more than many other established GaN companies.”
Recently, CGD launched the second series of its ICeGaN 650 V gallium nitride HEMT family.
The H2 Series ICeGaN HEMTs employ CGD’s smart gate interface that virtually eliminates typical e-mode GaN weaknesses, delivering significantly improved overvoltage robustness, higher noise-immune threshold, dV/dt suppression and ESD protection.
Like previous-generation devices, these transistors are simple to drive using commercially available industry gate drivers. Finally, H2 ICeGaN HEMTs feature a QG that is 10x lower than silicon parts and a QOSS that is 5x less. This greatly reduces switching losses, with corresponding reductions in size and weight.
