Apr 9 2009
International Rectifier, IR® (NYSE:IRF), a world leader in power management technology, today announced it has won a major award from Electronic Design and Application World-Nikkei Electronics China (EDAW-NEC) magazine for its revolutionary GaN-based power device platform, GaNpowIR™.
IR’s GaNpowIR technology received “Best Innovative Award in Power Components” as part of EDAW-NEC 2008 Power Products Awards. EDAW-NEC is one of China's leading electronics industry trade publications.
GaNpowIR is a revolutionary Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based power device technology platform that can provide customers with improvements in key application-specific figures of merit (FOM) of up to a factor of ten compared to state-of-the-art silicon-based technology platforms to dramatically increase performance and cut energy consumption in end applications in a variety of market segments such as computing and communications, automotive and appliances. The pioneering GaN-based power device technology platform is the result of five years of research and development by IR based on the company’s proprietary GaN-on-silicon epitaxial technology.
The high throughput, 150mm GaN-on-Si epitaxy, together with subsequent device fabrication processes which are fully compatible with IR’s cost effective silicon manufacturing facilities, offers customers a world-class, commercially viable manufacturing platform for GaN-based power devices.
The expert panel of EDAW-NEC judges commented: “New power devices require higher density and efficiency while silicon is reaching a performance plateau. Finding an alternative material is an urgent task for engineers. The power device technology based on GaN-on-silicon that IR's scientists and engineers developed is a historic breakthrough in the industry. It will change the status of power conversion devices and heralds a new era for power conversion solutions.”
Tim McDonald, vice president of IR’s Emerging Technologies Group said: “As a leader in power management innovation, IR is delighted to receive this award from EDAW-NEC magazine which has such a strong technical orientation and focus on new product design and application. We are very pleased with the interest that GaNpowIR is receiving from the semiconductor and electronic design engineering community."
EDAW-NEC is one of China's leading electronics industry trade publications published jointly by the Chinese Science Technology Information Institute and US-based IDG.
The award will be presented to IR at EDAW’s 2009 Module Power & Power Management Technology Seminar which takes place on April 9, 2009. For more information go to http://www.eaw.com.cn/event/Power_Eva/index.htm.