GaN Systems and Arkansas Power Electronics International
awarded $2 million by US Department of Energy to develop
new transportation technologies
Team to design power-saving gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors for new
generation vehicles
OTTAWA, Ontario – September 2013 – GaN Systems Inc, a leading developer of gallium nitride
power switching semiconductors, has partnered with Arkansas Power Electronics International
(APEI) in a successful bid for funding from the $45M US DoE programme aimed at developing new
vehicle technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce transportation costs. The APEI-led
team, also including Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc, the
University of Arkansas National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission and the US
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been awarded $2 Million as one of the 38 different
projects the DoE is funding across the US.
The team will develop new electric motor traction drives for hybrid electric vehicles based on
gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. These new technologies will
replace traditional silicon semiconductors in automotive power electronics to herald a new
generation of highly efficient and lower cost systems.
Girvan Patterson, CEO of GaN Systems comments: ”We’re delighted to be part of the APEI team
and to be collaborating on such an important programme. The DoE initiative is a very exciting
opportunity for the industry.
HEVs are full of power electronics for functions like battery
management, auxiliary power, braking, instrument clusters and many more. Over the next few
years we will see dramatic improvements in all these systems which will be designed into vehicles
such as Toyota’s next generation Prius. ”
About GaN Systems
GaN Systems is the first place systems designers go to realize all of the benefits of gallium nitride
in their power conversion and control applications. To overcome silicon’s limitations in switching
speed, temperature, voltage and current, the company develops the most complete range of
gallium nitride power switching solutions for a variety of markets. Its unique Island Technology™
addresses today’s cost, performance, and manufacturability related challenges of gallium nitride
resulting in devices that are up to four times smaller and four times more efficient than traditional
design approaches. The Company also leverages existing multi‐sourced manufacturing processes
due to its transportable, fabless model, and through additional innovations, makes it easy to
incorporate gallium nitride into any design. GaN Systems is run by a seasoned semiconductor team
with decades of industry experience and a track record of repeated success. The Company stands
to do more for gallium nitride adoption in power conversion than any other. For more
information, please visit: www.gansystems.com
More Information
Tracy Jones
Corporate Communications
GaN Systems
+1 (613) 686-1996 ext. 149 (office)
tjones@gansystems.com
www.gansystems.com
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Nick Foot
PR Director
BWW Communications
Tel.: +44 1491-636393
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