Lateral vs Vertical GaN Performance Analysis

Operating Conditions

600 V
100 A/cm²
1.0 MHz
100 °C

Lateral GaN (E-mode)

Max Voltage 650 V
Ron,sp 1.2 mΩ·cm²
Power Loss 12.5 W
Efficiency 98.5%
Thermal Resistance 2.5 K/W

Vertical GaN

Max Voltage 1200 V
Ron,sp 0.85 mΩ·cm²
Power Loss 8.2 W
Efficiency 99.1%
Thermal Resistance 1.2 K/W

Ron vs Breakdown Voltage Trade-off

Switching Loss Comparison

Figure of Merit Comparison

Temperature-Dependent Performance

Key Performance Differences

Vertical GaN Advantages: Higher breakdown voltage capability (>1.2kV), better thermal management through substrate cooling, higher current density handling, and superior performance at high voltages.

Lateral GaN Advantages: Lower cost due to GaN-on-Si technology, mature manufacturing process, excellent performance for sub-1kV applications, and easier integration with silicon drivers.