GaN Outperforms Silicon, Enters Mainstream [Expert View]

How does one define ‘mainstream’? In the case of gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor technology, we believe that since you can now buy a sleek, 65 W mobile charger using GaN for under $25 on Amazon, it is reasonable to assume that it has been fully accepted by the consumer markets, which—almost by definition—makes it a mainstream product. While the benefits of GaN have been discussed regularly at conferences such as IEEE APEC and PCIM for well over a decade, until relatively recently it was positioned as a solution for an exotic corner of the market that leveraged the speed of GaN devices. As size and efficiency demands become mainstream, GaN is now becoming an excellent solution for power applications.