News: Microelectronics
4 August 2020
Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs adopted for OPPO’s 110W Mini
Navitas Semiconductor Inc of El Segundo, CA, USA says that phone manufacturer OPPO has adopted its gallium nitride (GaNFast) power ICs to enable what is claimed to be the world’s smallest, thinnest and lightest 110W fast charger for phones, tablets and laptops.
Measuring only 65.5mm x 45.5mm x 12mm (36cc), OPPO’s 110W Mini fast charger is over 12x smaller than the 96W charger supplied with the Apple MacBook Pro 16”. With GaNFast technology, fast-charger design has finally caught up with the demand for slimline laptops, tablets and phones, says Navitas. With its ultra-thin 12mm profile, the fast charger is now 20% lower profile than the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air.
The savings in size and weight are possible due to gallium nitride, which can run up to 20x faster than silicon chips, it is reckoned. Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs monolithically integrate GaN power, GaN analog and GaN logic circuits on the same chip, to enable faster, reliable, efficient operation.
The 110W Mini SuperVOOC charger was launched on 15 July by OPPO’s chief charging technology scientist Jialiang (Jeff) Zhang, who said “GaN devices will trigger a technological revolution in the field of power supplies,” adding: “Only GaN devices can support high-frequency, low-loss operation.”
Navitas and OPPO design engineers partnered to develop a new two-stage, very high-speed (MHz) ‘Pulsed-DCX’ converter topology that allows the use of slimline ‘planar’ transformers to replace legacy ‘wire-wound’ transformers and eliminates the bulky electrolytic capacitors that can take up 40% of silicon-based designs. The first stage uses NV6125 GaNFast power ICs to isolate and step-down the voltage, with the second stage controlling the current for optimal battery charging. The 110W Mini includes a power factor correction (PFC) function and is rated for universal AC input, so it can be used worldwide. The full 110W rating is available via USB-PPS, with 65W fast charging for SuperVOOC and USB-PD protocols.
“Laptop users suffer from heavy, bulky, tangled chargers every time they travel, or even just commute. The 110W Mini is the featherweight fast charger that lifts the burden,” says Stephen Oliver, Navitas’ VP marketing & investor relations. “OPPO’s dedication to fast charging and pioneering adoption of GaNFast technology to enable new topologies is a clear game-changer,” he adds. “Now, consumers can carry a single, small, flexible fast charger that meets all their needs from their laptop and tablet to phone and earbuds – and charge them at incredible speed.”
