Infineon RIC70115 – A Radiation-Hardened GaN HEMT Gate Driver for Space

We have seen many consumer-grade GaN FETs, such as GAN039-650NTB and EPC2370 GaN, and GaN FETs and ICs like MasterGaN that have pushed power density and electrical performance to the limits while staying very compact. Now, we are seeing the same GaN technology move into more demanding environments, including satellite and space power systems, where efficiency and compactness matter, but radiation tolerance and long-term reliability are also crucial considerations. This is why Infineon Technologies has introduced the RIC70115, a radiation-hardened gate driver designed to drive GaN HEMTs and logic-level silicon FETs in both high-side and low-side configurations.

The device is designed for space and other high-reliability applications, with electrical parameters specified through a total ionizing dose (TID) of 100 krad(Si) and single-event-effects (SEE) characterization up to a linear energy transfer (LET) of 81.9 MeV·cm²/mg. It is housed in a hermetically sealed 16-pin LCC package and operates across a -55°C to 125°C ambient temperature range.

Infineon RIC70115 radiation-hardened GaN HEMT driver for satellite and high-reliability space applications

Designed for GaN and Logic-Level Si FETs

The RIC70115 is a single-channel gate driver that can operate in either a high-side or low-side configuration. Its logic-level output drives GaN Schottky-gate HEMTs and logic-level Si FETs, including Infineon’s rad-hard R8 FET family.

The device also includes an integrated voltage regulator that converts the external VDD supply into a tightly regulated 4.8 V VDRV output for gate drive. The device supports a VDD operating range of 4.75 V to 15 V, allowing a 5 V or 12 V-class supply while maintaining the regulated gate-drive voltage.

The VDRV output can also be supplied externally. By applying an external drive voltage to both VDD and VDRV, designers can bypass the internal LDO when a different gate-drive voltage is required. A minimum 2 µF low-ESR capacitor is recommended on VDRV when the internal LDO is used.

Differential Input and High-Side Operation

Another intresting feature of the RIC70115 is its truly differential input (TDI) logic. Instead of relying on a conventional single-ended input, the device detects the voltage difference between IN+ and IN-, improving immunity to common-mode noise.

The input stage supports up to 150 V static and 200 V dynamic common-mode voltage, which allows the driver to operate in high-side configurations without an external level-shifting device such as a digital isolator. Programmable input blanking from 0 ns to 135 ns can also prevent short transient pulses from reaching the output.

Fast Gate Drive with Integrated Miller Clamp

The output stage provides separate source and sink pins, allowing you to adjust the turn-on and turn-off slew rates independently with external resistors. The driver can source up to 1.5 A and sink up to 2.5 A peak current.

A dedicated Miller clamp helps prevent unwanted turn-on caused by high drain-voltage slew rates. Once the power switch is turned off, the clamp provides a low-impedance path between the gate and source, suppressing induced gate voltage without determining the turn-off speed set by the SNK path.

Radiation-Hardened for Space Applications

The RIC70115 is designed for environments where radiation can affect conventional power-management ICs. Infineon specifies the device for a total ionizing dose (TID) of up to 100 krad(Si) and characterizes it for single-event effects up to a linear energy transfer (LET) of 81.9 MeV·cm²/mg.

The company clearly mentions that the device is designed for satellite and payload systems, power conditioning units, power distribution units, and DC-DC converters. It also supports an optional negative turn-off voltage through the COM pin to further improve immunity to induced turn-on.

RIC70115 Evaluation Board

RIC70115EVAL1 – High-speed, radiation-hardened GaN-based gate driver evaluation platform

To simplify development, the company also offers the RIC70115EVAL1 evaluation board. This development platform is available right now for engineering evaluation, allowing developers to safely check the gate driver’s performance and switching capabilities in real-world scenarios before integrating the chip into final, space-bound hardware.

The company does not mention anything about the Pricing and availability of the chip, and it also does not list RIC70115 or the RIC70115EVAL1 board on Digi-Key, Mouser, or other sites. So you need to contact Infineon / IR HiRel sales for more information. The company lists the board as officially available now, but you’ll need to contact sales, as I couldn’t find an option to purchase it directly on the website or from any third-party store. Some additional information is available in the press release.

Images used courtesy of Infineon Technologies