Classroom | What Is GaN and Why Has It Become the “Star” of Modern Electronics?
News & Updates
December 16, 2025
Classroom | What Is GaN and Why Has It Become the “Star” of Modern Electronics?
Compared to chargers from just a few years ago, modern chargers are significantly smaller while delivering many times faster charging speeds. What is behind this transformation?
As transistors continue to shrink, chip power consumption and size decrease accordingly. This is the well-known Moore’s Law. However, process scaling is not the only path to performance improvement. The adoption of new materials has become an equally important driver of innovation, especially in power electronics.
The Rise of GaN
In recent years, one material has gained tremendous attention: Gallium Nitride (GaN).
From smartphone and laptop fast chargers, to micro photovoltaic inverters and industrial robotic systems, GaN semiconductor is rapidly competing with traditional silicon-based technologies across multiple domains.
What Is GaN?
Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a compound of gallium and nitrogen with a crystal structure similar to wurtzite. It is highly robust and chemically stable, resistant to corrosion (virtually unaffected by acids), and non-flammable.
Together with SiC (silicon carbide) and diamond, GaN belongs to the wide-bandgap semiconductor materials following Silicon (Si).
Key Advantages of GaN
GaN offers several outstanding material properties:
Wide bandgap Strong atomic bonding High thermal conductivity Excellent chemical stability High breakdown voltage capability Strong radiation resistance
These characteristics make GaN highly suitable for:
Optoelectronics High-temperature, high-power devices High-frequency microwave applications
GaN Devices and Manufacturing
GaN-based transistors are commonly referred to as GaN FETs, or GaN HEMTs.
However, GaN manufacturing is still less mature than silicon. GaN wafers are typically limited to 6-inch mass production, while Silicon wafers are up to 12-inch mass production.
As a result, costs of GaN remain higher and crystal defects are more common. Therefore, many GaN devices are fabricated on silicon substrates.
Applications of GaN
GaN is widely used in PD fast charging, 5G power supplies, power switching systems, server power systems.
GaN in Chargers: A Rapid Evolution
They are relatively new in charger applications. For example, Navitas introduced the world’s first GaN IC prototype in 2014. ANKER launched GaN-based chargers commercially in 2018. Since then, GaN has rapidly replaced traditional silicon in many applications.
Advantages of GaN Chargers
Compared to silicon-based chargers, GaN chargers offer:
Smaller size Lighter weight Higher voltage tolerance Higher efficiency Higher switching frequency Lower heat generation More stable performance
GaN in 5G Power Systems
GaN is particularly well-suited for 5G infrastructure, where power amplifiers consume significant energy, and thermal management is critical. GaN devices effectively address these challenges, making them ideal for next-generation communication systems.
Market Outlook
According to industry forecasts, the GaN power device market is expected to reach USD 2 billion by 2027.
As a wide-bandgap semiconductor, GaN is still in a phase of rapid development. Each advancement in materials science brings transformative changes to the industry.
THINKANTECH GaN Capabilities
As a leading domestic supplier of GaN and SiC power devices, THINKANTECH has achieved industry-leading GaN product performance, proprietary GaN chip design patents, and advanced packaging technologies.
THINKANTECH GaN products have passed automotive-grade 1000-hour reliability testing and achieved performance comparable to global leading manufacturers.
In April this year, THINKANTECH entered the supplier whitelist of a top-tier global AI server provider and supported multiple listed companies in developing GaN-based power products.
Product Coverage
THINKANTECH GaN solutions span 100W to 11kW, serving applications such as consumer electronics, industrial automation, energy and power systems, and automotive power systems.
Contact
Email: xinkansen@x-ipm.com
