Gate drivers tackle 220-V GaN designs
Two half-bridge GaN gate drivers from ST integrate a bootstrap diode and linear regulators to generate high- and low-side 6-V gate signals. The STDRIVEG210 and STDRIVEG211 target systems powered from industrial or telecom bus voltages, 72-V battery systems, and 110-V AC line-powered equipment.
The high-side driver of each device withstands rail voltages up to 220 V and is easily supplied through the embedded bootstrap diode. Separate gate-drive paths can sink 2.4 A and source 1.0 A, ensuring fast switching transitions and straightforward dV/dt tuning. Both devices provider short propagation delay with 10-ns matching for low dead-time operation.
ST’s gate drivers support a broad range of power-conversion applications, including power supplies, chargers, solar systems, lighting, and USB-C sources. The STDRIVEG210 works with both resonant and hard-switching topologies, offering a 300-ns startup time that minimizes wake-up delays in burst-mode operation. The STDRIVEG211 adds overcurrent detection and smart shutdown functions for motor drives in tools, e-bikes, pumps, servos, and class-D audio systems.
Now in production, the STDRIVEG210 and STDRIVEG211 come in 5×4-mm, 18-pin QFN packages. Prices start at $1.22 each in quantities of 1000 units. Evaluation boards are also available.
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