SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT) and Applied Novel Devices, Inc. (AND) today announced a major industry breakthrough with new transistor technology that offers significant benefits for fast switching power conversion applications. The power MOSFETs offer 2x lower output charge, near-zero reverse-recovery and ultra-low Qoss enabled by AND’s proprietary channel engineering technology. In addition, these power MOSFETs offer superior specific on-resistance (< 5 mOhm-mm2 @ 30V BVDSS) at gate drive as low as 2.5V as well as low leakage currents and near-ideal sub-threshold slope made possible by AND’s device architecture. These characteristics can substantially reduce parasitic losses incurred in power management systems. This will improve power management and conversion efficiency in numerous applications including data centers, automotive, electric motor drives, microinverters for renewable energy systems and many others in industrial and consumer markets.
In applications such as DC-DC power conversion, AND’s technology offers unique advantages enabled by its novel device architecture. Near-zero reverse recovery and low output capacitances eliminate the need for integrated or standalone Schottky clamp diodes. These efficiency enhancing characteristics make the technology attractive for higher frequency voltage conversion applications not typically supported by conventional Si MOSFETs. The high frequencies enabled by these power MOSFETs, in turn, drive reduction of passive component sizes to achieve small form factor power modules that support further system level efficiency gains.
AND will offer wafer scale and standard package products ranging from 15-80V for industrial and consumer applications. AND plans to expand the offering to span the 200-1000V range with a family of products produced at SkyWater for electric vehicle, renewable energy and various industrial applications. Additionally, through a technology licensing agreement, SkyWater will offer this power MOSFET technology process flow to foundry customers.
“AND has developed a unique technology that brings the benefits of GaN-like performance to mainstream Si MOSFETs,” said Leo Mathew, CEO and co-founder of AND. “SkyWater is an ideal partner to bring this industry breakthrough to realization in an IP-secure development and production environment.”
“During this global semiconductor shortage, we are excited to work with AND here in the U.S. to enable a new technology for power management applications which are used in all types of electronic devices,” said Steve Kosier, SkyWater chief technology officer. “This new class of Si power MOSFETs enhances efficiency and cuts power losses for fast power switching applications. We are pleased to have created a standard process flow for this highly differentiated technology that can be offered to all foundry customers on a wide-scale.”
