Most people have never heard of Gallium Nitride; it is a term still primarily seen in the scientific papers, studies, and white papers of innovative battery start-ups. While the world has used lithium-ion batteries since they were the giant leap forward in the early 2000s, the next big leap is yet to materialize. Battery technology has become one of the most important areas for technological advancement as more and more items rely on batteries.
GaN also has the potential to replace traditional silicon semiconductors and increase their speed and energy efficiency. This article focuses on the tremendous benefits of using GaN’s electronic conduction properties in battery applications, as improved batteries have immense potential to change the world.
The Need for Battery Improvements and GaN
“Lithium-ion was a giant leap from nickel-cadmium batteries,” says a representative from tech giant, AUKEY. “Batteries were quicker to charge, could hold a charge longer, were smaller, and could be used through far more charging cycles before showing a capacity loss. While that was great in a world with fewer portable devices and phones yet to be smart, laptops, iPads, smartphones, and wireless headphones are now everywhere, and we need continued battery improvement.”
Renewable energy benefits from batteries that can hold greater charges, longer, and in smaller spaces, and batteries are necessary to bank energy for reduced or no production times. Electric cars will become the most significant battery users, and extending range, lifespan, and shortening charging times are their next big leap forward. If battery pricing can be reduced, green technology becomes far more accessible, and power needs for those in developing countries can be met.
What is Gallium Nitride
Nitride Gallium (GaN) combines gallium (atomic number 31) and nitrogen (atomic number 7) to form a wide bandgap semiconductor material. In a nutshell, a larger bandgap frees an electron from an orbit around a nucleus, and gallium nitride has a bandgap over three times that of silicon.
While the technical description could go further in-depth, the benefits of this wide-band gap can charge up to 100x faster, reduce the carbon footprint by ten times over current power semiconductors, and upgrade to GaN could reduce world energy loss by 30-40%.
Estimates are that GaN power chips can save 80% in manufacturing and process chemicals and the energy needed to produce them. Packaging is reduced by 50% due to the smaller size. Ecologically, GaN is superior to older technology.
Heat is energy loss. When you notice your laptop or phone getting warm, energy is lost as it converts to heat instead of being used within the device itself. GaN semiconductors lose far less energy to heat due to their ability to sustain higher temperatures, and your devices become much more energy efficient using GaN. Companies committed to a clean energy future and expanding access to energy into developing nations are excited about the potential of GaN.
Improving Developing Economies
Much of the world is either entirely without power or only has access to power periodically. Solar deployment as micro-grids means small solar power plants that serve villages and households with little chance of ever having access to the electrical grids in their countries.
Batteries have been one of the highest cost components of these micro-grids, slowing their deployment. Power at night is essential for these areas so that children may learn in the evenings, meals cooked safely on electrical appliances, and medical care is accessible at all times. Improving access to electricity will help pull people from poverty, enhance learning, and foster healthier environments.
The tremendously reduced cost of GaN will make micro-grid rollout more accessible due to dramatically reduced cost and more remarkable ability to hold a charge.
GaN holds energy better, moves it faster, is more efficient, and is tremendously less destructive to the environment. Lower costs and a reduced form factor will make devices and green energy more accessible across the world. Electric cars will be one of the biggest benefactors of greater efficiency and reduced costs.
