​Power converters are found in everything from laptop computers to electric cars, converting electricity into a current and voltage the device being powered can use. Gallium nitride (GaN), a "large-gap" material, has the capacity to reduce losses significantly, making it a good candidate for high power applications. CEA-Leti has been working on GaN for around a decade. In research for an IRT Nanoelec program, the institute recently finalized a GaN power component process design kit (PDK) with new functions.

The PDK will allow engineers to make the most of GaN. New types of components like N-OFF and PNP and Schottky HEMT transistors can be designed and combined to create new nested, bidirectional, and other components not possible on Si.  It includes a comprehensive set of component design and simulation modules. However, engineers can also evaluate the performance of the target system before the components are even manufactured.

The PDK marks a decisive step toward designing GaN components that combine new technology bricks with system-level innovations. It is now sufficiently mature to transfer to semiconductor companies.