12 Isolated Gate Driver Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for isolated gate drivers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 12 isolated gate driver manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked isolated gate driver companies as of November, 2024: 1.Littelfuse, Inc, 2.Broadcom, 3.Allegro MicroSystems, Inc..
Table of Contents
What Is an Isolated Gate Driver?
An isolated gate driver is a circuit used to drive and control the gate terminals of a voltage-driven type of MOSFET or IGBT.
Currently, the most general-purpose isolated gate driver is a circuit that drives and controls the gate of a MOSFET, but there are analog circuit technologies that use resistors, diodes, bipolar, and other transistors. Recently, isolated gate driver peripheral circuit components themselves have also evolved.
Although there are many types and combinations of them, learning gate voltage drive control circuits using MOSFETs is the most practical.
Uses of Isolated Gate Drivers
Isolated gate drivers are used to drive power transistors with a simple drive circuit consisting only of MOSFETs and gate resistors.
The advantage of isolated gate drivers is the small number of components. The disadvantage is that switching speed and loss vary greatly depending on the resistance value, and it is difficult to set an appropriate resistance value. As a circuit that improves this problem of adjusting the resistance value, it is also used in circuits where the gate of a MOSFET is turned on and off separately driven by a diode.
The voltage for the diode remains, so it cannot be completely zero, but a circuit called a push-pull, in which the Pch and Nch of the MOSFET are connected up and down solves this problem. This is currently the most common use of isolated gate drivers.
Principle of Isolated Gate Drivers
Isolated gate drivers consist of a push-pull circuit of transistors.
A push-pull circuit is a circuit that performs switching or amplification by using two transistors to operate alternately. There are two types of push-pull circuits: "emitter follower type" and "emitter grounded type," but the latter is used in most cases.
The isolated gate drivers consist of a circuit that acts as a middleman between the power element, which is the powerhouse that does the heavy lifting at the transistor site, and the microcontroller, which is the brain that commands the control policy and plays the role of president.
Power MOSFETs and IGBTs are examples of power elements that can carry large currents. The voltages and currents that directly drive these devices are in most cases insufficient for the currents and voltages that a normal microcontroller can output.
Therefore, isolated gate drivers are needed between the power devices and the microcontroller to drive them.
Other Information on Isolated Gate Drivers
1. Ultra-High-Speed Isolated Gate Drivers
Ultra-high-speed isolated gate drivers are isolated gate drivers that specialize in high-speed switching. The ultrahigh-speed category is generally defined as a device with a switching speed of several tens of ps (pico-seconds) or less.
Pico is 10 to the minus 12th power, so the switching speed is less than one trillionth of a second. This evolution can be said to have occurred due to recent technological innovations in semiconductor devices.
2. Practical Application of Ultra High-Speed Gate Drivers
The following ultra-fast device isolated gate drivers are in practical use.
The first is a transistor using silicon, the most commonly used semiconductor. The bipolar type is fast, and capable of switching in tens of picoseconds, while the MOS type has delayed operation but is suitable for high-density circuit integration.
The second type is the compound semiconductor type transistor. These include the MESFET, a Schottky gate-type field-effect transistor, the HBT, a hetero-bipolar transistor, and the HEMT, a high-mobility field-effect transistor. The semiconductor used is a gallium arsenide compound. This device is capable of switching operations of a few picoseconds, making it the fastest semiconductor available today for ultrahigh speeds.
The third, although still in the research stage, is the Josephson device, which utilizes the tunneling effect between two types of superconductors; it has half the switching speed of the second device and uses metallic materials such as niobium. However, it requires cryogenic temperatures for operation, and there are still challenges to be overcome before it can be put into practical use.
3. SiC Isolated Gate Drivers
SiC isolated gate drivers are semiconductor devices that have been attracting attention in the recent power electronics world because of their superior breakdown voltage performance and improved switching speed. The isolated gate drivers are composed of a semiconductor called silicon carbide (commonly known as SiC), the use of which has become a trend in the industry.
In particular, MOSFETs using SiC have contributed to a significant improvement in switching performance, which has been an issue in high-power inverters and have improved heat dissipation while achieving high breakdown field strength and carrier drift speed.
However, SiC has the challenge of resolving voltage differences in various SiC composition configurations.
4. Current Mainstay Devices in Isolated Gate Drivers
Currently, the main devices that we want to operate with isolated gate drivers are voltage-driven devices called MOSFETs and IGBTs. Although isolated gate drivers do not require a constant flow of current, they do require a short pulse current during switching operations, so the rated current and voltage values as power devices must be carefully considered.
In particular, in the case of IGBTs, compared to MOSFETs, their characteristics are best demonstrated at high voltages of several 10 V. Therefore, it is safer to select bias characteristics for the isolated gate drivers that match the voltage range and application as much as possible.
5. Modularization and Future Trends
IGBTs are characterized by their tendency to operate at high voltages and to break down instantly when their maximum ratings are exceeded. For this reason, IGBT modules, which combine IGBTs with isolated gate drivers ICs and protection circuits, are easier to use than IGBTs alone (discrete) and are now widely accepted in the market.
Future trends in isolated gate drivers technology development will include not only more compact, high-performance, and easy-to-use products but also application-specific ICs such as Class-D amplifiers and motor drive ICs. These isolated gate drivers will be differentiated from the isolated gate drivers for SiC semiconductors and GaN devices mentioned earlier.
List of 12 Isolated Gate Driver Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- United States of America
- Austria
- Belgium
- Japan
- Taiwan
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Broadcom
SiC - Gen 1 SiC MOSFET Gate Driver
Manufacturer Overview
Broadcom Inc., established in 1961, and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor and connectivity solutions. The company specializes in producing products, such as semiconductors, infrastructure software, networking products, storage products, wireless products in which their products cater to industries such as telecommunications, data centers, and consumer electronics. Their products are used for various applications, including wireless communication, networking equipment, data storage, and multimedia devices, providing components for advanced technologies in numerous industrial and commercial sectors.
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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.,
OPTOCOUPLERS/ISOLATORS
Manufacturer Overview
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (Vishay) was incorporated in 1962 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The company serves the industrial, automotive, telecommunications, consumer products, and medical end markets and sells its products under numerous brand names inlcuding Siliconix, Draloric, Beyschlag, UltraSource, and Applied Thin-Film Products. The company manufactures and sells discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components in globally while operating in six market segments: MOSFETs, diodes, optoelectronic components, resistors, inductors, and capacitors.
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Analog Devices, Inc.
Isolated Gate Driver
Manufacturer Overview
Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
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Littelfuse, Inc
MOSFET Gate Driver
Manufacturer Overview
Littlefuse was founded in 1927 and headquartered in the United States. Littlefuse is a diversified industrial technology manufacturing company with customers globally. Littlefuse has products segments which are electronic, industrial, and transportation. Electronic segment products include fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, and varistors. Transportation products include blade, resettable, and high-current and high-voltage fuses, as well as battery cable protectors; fuses, switches, relays, circuit breakers, and power distribution modules. The Industrial segment offerings include contactors, transformers, and temperature sensors for use in renewable energy and energy storage systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, HVAC systems.
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Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
HV Isolated Gate drivers
Manufacturer Overview
Allegro MicroSystems, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, is a fables manufacturer of sensor integrated circuits and application-specific analog power integrated circuits. Its diverse product portfolio includes sensors, regulators, and motor drivers used in several areas, including clean energy, automation, E-mobility, and computer markets. The company supports customers through its design and application centers located in South America, Asia, North America, and Europe. It went public in 2020, and its shares are traded on Nasdaq Global under ALGM. It ships over one billion units annually to support its more than 10,000 customers worldwide.
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Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Isolated Gate Drivers
Manufacturer Overview
Founded in Irvine, CA in 1962, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary semiconductor products. Its product portfolio includes amplifiers, antenna tuners, attenuators, automotive tuners and digital radios, clocks and timings, circulators/isolators, DC/DC converters, demodulators, detectors, diodes, wireless analog system on chip products, directional couplers, diversity receive modules, filters, front-end modules, hybrids, LED drivers, low noise amplifiers, mixers, modulators, switches, synthesizers, timing devices, technical ceramics, voltage controlled oscillators/synthesizers, and voltage regulators. The company provides its products for the usage in aerospace, automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, connected home, entertainment and gaming, industrial, medical, military, smartphone, tablet, and wearable markets.
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RECOM Power GmbH.
Gate Drivers
Manufacturer Overview
Recom Power GmbH, established in 1974 and headquartered in Gmunden, Austria, is a manufacturer of AC/DC electronic power supplies and DC/DC converters with over 30,000 compact power supplies. The company specializes in AC/DC power supplies and DC/DC converters, switching regulators, and LED drivers. It also offers isolated DC/DC converters and modules. It has a portfolio that covers the entire range between 0.25 and 240 watts in terms of DC/DC converter manufacturers. Its manufacturing and distribution facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. It serves a wide range of industries such as OEMs, naval, avionics, telecom, and more.
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Cissoid
GATE DRIVERS
Manufacturer Overview
Cissoid, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Walloon Region, is a manufacturer of high temperature semiconductors. They deliver standard products and custom solutions for power management, power conversion and signal conditioning in extreme temperature and harsh environments. Their solutions range from system-on-chip to complete SiC and GaN based inverter platforms to support an ever-growing range of e-mobility and high-power applications. The company has been supplying products to leaders in the Oil & Gas, aeronautic, Industrial and automotive markets.
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MH GoPower Company Limited
YMH-HH Series Photonic Power Isolated Gate Drive
Manufacturer Overview
MH GoPower Company Ltd. is based in Luzhu, Kaohsiung, and is a Taiwanese manufacturer of vertical multi-junction (VMJ) photovoltaic (PV) cells originally established as MH Solar Co. Ltd. in 2008 before rebranding in 2014. The company primarily produces VMJ PV cells for power over fiber (PoF) and power beaming applications. It also offers photovoltaic power converters (PVC) for integrating VMJ PV cells with circuit boards or connectors, as well as laser power modules (LPM) for delivering and controlling laser output power. The company's products are mainly used in the industrial automation, aerospace, and research sectors.
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Renesas Electronics Corporation.
Rad Hard MOSFET Drivers
Manufacturer Overview
Renesas Electronics Corporation was established in 2002 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Renesas is a global research, design, and manufacturer of semiconductors used in industries spanning automotive, consumer electronics, the internet of things, power & energy, and industrial sectors. Renesas manufactures both analog and digital products. Analog products include amplifiers, audio & video devices, data converters, PLC, and switches & multiplexers. Digital products include microcontrollers, memory components, sensors, wireless connectivity products, and others. Renesas also offers design resources such as kits, development tools, partner programs, and design tools.
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Texas Instruments
Isolated gate drivers
Manufacturer Overview
Texas Instruments Incorporated was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Texas Instruments is a producer of high tech equipment for industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment industries. Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers in the United States and internationally. Texas Instruments operates in two segments: analog and embedded processing. The Analog segment offers power products, including battery-management solutions, DC/DC switching regulators, power switches, linear regulators, voltage references, and lighting products. The Embedded Processing segment offers microcontrollers that are used in fields such as electronic equipment and digital signal processors for mathematical computations.
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ROHM Co., Ltd.
Isolated Gate Drivers
Company Overview
ROHM Semiconductor was incorporated in 1940 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. ROHM manufactures and sells electronic components worldwide. ROHM operates through the segments ICs, discrete semiconductor devices, and modules. ROHM provides ICs comprising memory, amplifiers and linear, power management, clocks and timers, switches and multiplexers, logic, data converters, sensors and MEMS, display drivers, motor/actuator drivers, interfaces, communication and speech synthesis LSI, audio and video, and microcontrollers. ROHM also offers discrete semiconductor products include MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, and diodes; power devices, including power transistors and diodes, SiC power devices, IGBT, and IPM; passive devices, such as resistors, and conductive polymer and tantalum capacitors; and various modules among others.
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Isolated Gate Driver Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littelfuse, Inc |
18.3%
|
| 2 | Broadcom |
14.1%
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| 3 | Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. |
14.1%
|
| 4 | ROHM Co., Ltd. |
11.3%
|
| 5 | Skyworks Solutions, Inc. |
9.9%
|
| 6 | MH GoPower Company Limited |
5.6%
|
| 7 | Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., |
5.6%
|
| 8 | Texas Instruments |
5.6%
|
| 9 | RECOM Power GmbH. |
4.2%
|
| 10 | Cissoid |
4.2%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the isolated gate driver page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
- ROHM Co., Ltd.: 23,754
- Renesas Electronics Corporation.: 21,017
Newly Established Company
- MH GoPower Company Limited: 2008 (16 years ago)
- Renesas Electronics Corporation.: 2002 (22 years ago)
- RECOM Power GmbH.: 1974 (50 years ago)
Company with a History
- Texas Instruments: 1930 (94 years ago)
- ROHM Co., Ltd.: 1958 (66 years ago)
- RECOM Power GmbH.: 1974 (50 years ago)
Isolated Gate Driver Manufacturers in United States
*Including some distributors, etc.
- Broadcom
- Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.,
- Analog Devices, Inc.
- Littelfuse, Inc
- Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
- Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Global Distribution of Isolated Gate Driver Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
United States of America
|
6 | 54.5% |
Japan
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2 | 18.2% |
|
Austria
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1 | 9.1% |
Belgium
|
1 | 9.1% |
Taiwan
|
1 | 9.1% |
