Dec 14, 2006
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: E-mail: semiconpress@ml.jp.panasonic.com
Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) Develops A New Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power Transistor with Normally-off Operation
(26KB) Osaka, Japan - Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is generally known, today announced the development of a Gallium Nitride (GaN) power transistor with normally-off operation. This device is the world's first demonstration of the conductivity modulation in GaN as a novel operating principle leading to low on-state resistance. The new GaN transistor enables low-loss and high-voltage power switching devices.
Normally-off operation has been strongly desired for GaN power transistors, however, the reported approaches resulted in high on-state resistance. In Panasonic's new GaN transistor called “Gate Injection Transistor (GIT)”, the normally-off positive threshold voltage of 1V is achieved by use of a pn-junction gate structure instead of conventional metal gate. In addition, injection of holes from the p-type gate layer drastically increases the drain current resulting in low specific on-state resistance (RonA) of 2.6mΩcm2. Note that the high breakdown voltage of 640V is obtained on cost-effective silicon substrate.
Panasonic's proprietary GaN power transistor “GIT” is applicable to future high efficiency power switching systems replacing Si-based power devices.
Applications for eighty nine domestic and fifty two international patents have been filed. These research and development results have been presented at International Electron Devices Meeting 2006, held at San Francisco, California, U.S. from December 11 to 13, 2006.
About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
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