Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF
The ENSPECT project is making an important contribution to the development of radiation-resistant gallium nitride (GaN) technologies, which are particularly important for demanding applications in satellite and space technology.
The project intents to investigate and optimize the radiation resistance of GaN technologies for satellite applications. The researchers are working on the development of robust, radiation-resilient GaN power transistors and highly integrated circuits for a 100 W DC/DC converter at technology readiness level 5 (TRL5). The aim is to reduce volume and weight while improving efficiency and reliability.
The lead application of the project is a DC power supply unit for satellite applications. This comprises several DC/DC converters, supplemented by additional peripheral functions. The focus is on the use of GaN power semiconductors in converters with a bus voltage of 100 V. This results in the requirement that the GaN components must have blocking voltages of at least 150 V.