CGD and Ricardo partner on EV GaN traction inverters

Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) has partnered with global engineering firm Ricardo to develop a high-efficiency Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based traction inverter for electric vehicles. This collaboration is a core component of Project SUITE (Sustainable Use of Integrated Technology for EVs), a £10 million Nissan-led consortium backed by the UK Government’s DRIVE35 programme. Supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) and Innovate UK, the research initiative aims to fundamentally optimize how next-generation EVs are charged and powered, utilizing advanced semiconductor solutions to maximize range and reduce consumer energy costs.

Scalable ICeGaN integration for high-power switching
The new traction inverter design will utilize CGD’s proprietary ICeGaN™ integrated circuit to deliver faster, lower-loss switching and reduced overall energy consumption compared to legacy silicon power semiconductors. Traditionally, implementing GaN into high-power automotive environments requires highly complex, custom driving circuitry. ICeGaN overcomes these design hurdles by integrating essential control features directly at the chip level, allowing the devices to operate reliably using standard gate drivers while requiring fewer external passive components. Furthermore, the technology enables optimal dynamic current sharing when five or more devices are connected in parallel, providing Ricardo with the scalable, high-current foundation necessary to engineer a robust, high-power propulsion system.

Additional Context: Wide-Bandgap switching physics and parasitic inductance in parallel GaN arrays
This section details the solid-state physics of GaN HEMTs and high-frequency traction inverters not included in the original press release.

The primary function of an EV traction inverter is to convert direct current (DC) from the high-voltage battery pack into the multiphase alternating current (AC) required to spin the electric traction motor. This conversion is achieved by switching power transistors on and off thousands of times per second (Pulse Width Modulation). Traditional Silicon Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) suffer from a phenomenon known as "tail current"—a lag during the turn-off phase that causes the transistor to simultaneously experience high voltage and high current, wasting massive amounts of energy as heat (switching losses). Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a Wide-Bandgap (WBG) material that operates as a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT). It lacks a minority carrier tail current, allowing it to transition between on and off states in mere nanoseconds, effectively eliminating switching losses and dramatically improving the powertrain's volumetric efficiency.

However, a single GaN transistor cannot carry the hundreds of amps required by a heavy EV motor. Engineers must wire multiple GaN devices in parallel to multiply the current-carrying capacity. Because GaN switches at such extreme, nanosecond speeds, even microscopic parasitic inductances (measured in nanohenries) caused by uneven PCB trace lengths can cause asynchronous switching. If one GaN transistor in a parallel array turns on just a fraction of a nanosecond before the others, it will momentarily absorb the entire motor current, causing catastrophic thermal destruction. Achieving optimal current sharing across five or more parallel devices requires incredibly precise gate-loop synchronization and threshold voltage stability, which CGD achieves by integrating the logic and protection circuits directly onto the GaN die itself.

Edited by an industrial journalist, Lekshman Ramdas, with AI assistance.

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