Why Build GaN Motor Controllers?

GaN (gallium nitride) switches are the major driver of the miniaturization of consumer electronics charging devices. Their compact size relative to traditional silicon switches, the reduction in losses in switching, and the knock-on reduction in the size of other electrical components all add up to allow for this. The miniaturization in that industry ultimately helps the consumer by taking up less space in their backpack, purse, or pocket, making their day to day lives and travel easier. That in turn has let the companies that build these chargers sell more.

GaN has the potential to do the same for motor controllers, allowing them to be made smaller and more efficient. This is because same performance advantages hold true for motor controllers, though GaN still is in its infancy of being deployed. The shrinking of controllers and the production of less heat allows for innovative motor to motor controller integrations. For example, a humanoid robot joint driver may have its controller volume reduced to 1/3 of the size of one using traditional silicon technology. This can translate into either higher torque motor drives in the same volume, leading to stronger, more useful end products. Or, it can allow for more motor drives to be packaged into the same volume, adding additional degrees of freedom and more complex manipulation abilities.

For a light electric vehicle, the same holds true. A GaN motor controller can enable a 2 or 3 in 1 drive unit, integrating with a motor or motor and gearbox while still being able to be kept cool. This integration can reduce the number of cables that need to be run, reducing overall vehicle cost. Alternatively, the saved space can allow for a larger battery pack, increasing vehicle range. Thirdly, that saved space can always be passed on to the consumer as storage volume.

Relative cost projection by FET technology

If you’re reading this and wondering why GaN isn’t the defacto standard for these motor controllers today, read on. GaN does come with design and integration challenges that make it harder to implement than silicon. It requires more precise control, can heat up quickly if not well cooled because of how small the switches are, and does still carry a small cost penalty without clever design thinking. However, at Boron Energy, the work we’ve done by being a GaN-native company has let us resolve all these challenges and build an exceptional, patent-pending motor controller based on this technology. If GaN sounds like a fit for improving performance in your motor control application, don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more and discuss a custom design.