GaN Power Devices Go Vertical - Semiconductor Engineering

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices have made significant progress in low-voltage applications such as consumer electronics chargers. However, high-voltage domains like power generation and transporta... Read original →

The shift toward vertical GaN power devices is triggering a cascade across the wide-bandgap ecosystem. Substrate suppliers must accelerate AlN buffer and GaN-on-Si integration, while downstream PMIC designers grapple with 2DEG interface physics and trench-gate parasitics. Tightening U.S. export controls under the CHIPS Act—coupled with Taiwan, China’s concentrated foundry capacity—are forcing automakers to build regional redundancy, inflating compliance costs by over 15%. Infineon and Wolfspeed are hedging with SiC-GaN hybrid platforms, while Navitas and GaN Systems double down on full-vertical MOSFETs to capture the 800V EV fast-charging window. If Mg activation efficiency and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ interface trap density don’t improve within 18 months, GaN’s >1.2kV adoption will remain stifled by SiC—but the low-voltage tailwind from consumer and data-center power will sustain its valuation premium through 2027.