Gallium-nitride (GaN) power FETs can help a self-driving car’s LiDAR transmitter deliver short, high-current laser pulses, and can make vehicle power-conversion hardware more efficient and compact. The clearest sensor benefit is better control of the pulse that fires the laser—not a guaranteed increase in LiDAR range or a replacement for the car’s perception system.
Where GaN fits in a self-driving car sensor
In a LiDAR transmitter, a gate driver and power FET switch current through a laser diode to create a brief optical pulse. The pulse’s timing and shape influence the measurement the system can make. GaN’s ability to switch quickly with low switching loss makes it a candidate for this transmitter stage, especially when the design needs a very short, high-current pulse.
GaN can also be used in vehicle power conversion, including stages serving 48-V distribution. That is a supporting role: cameras, radar, LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors still provide distinct inputs to the vehicle’s perception stack. NVIDIA’s autonomous-driving reference architecture illustrates this multi-sensor combination; a GaN component does not itself make a vehicle autonomous.
What benefits can GaN provide to LiDAR?
Short, precisely controlled pulses
Texas Instruments’ LMG1025-Q1 is an automotive low-side gate driver intended for applications including LiDAR, time-of-flight sensing and high-frequency power conversion. TI specifies a 1.25-ns minimum input pulse width, with 2.6-ns rising and 2.9-ns falling propagation delay in its 2024 product information. TI describes the device as enabling a 1.25-ns output pulse for a more powerful, eye-safe diode pulse. These are driver specifications and claims, not a promise that every LiDAR design will produce the same optical pulse.
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Resolution and potential detection distance
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) says the EPC2212’s short trigger capability enables high current with very short pulse widths. EPC explains that shorter pulses can improve LiDAR resolution, while higher pulse current can help the system discern objects at greater distances. These are system-level outcomes dependent on the laser, optics, receiver, signal processing and operating conditions; changing the FET alone does not guarantee higher resolution or longer range.
TI’s white paper describes how low input and high capacitance characteristics can support higher peak optical output in a shorter pulse while maintaining eye safety. Eye safety remains a system design and compliance requirement; it should not be inferred from a transistor or driver specification alone.
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GaN and silicon MOSFETs compared for automotive LiDAR
The useful comparison is at the power-stage level. A device choice depends on the pulse requirement, current, voltage, thermal path, layout, qualification and cost—not just the semiconductor material.
| Design consideration | GaN power FETs | Silicon MOSFETs |
|---|---|---|
| Switching speed and pulse width | Fast switching is a central advantage for very short LiDAR transmitter pulses. TI specifies a 1.25-ns minimum input pulse width for the LMG1025-Q1 driver (2024 product information); this is not a universal GaN FET rating. | Comparable LiDAR pulse-width figures are not stated in the cited TI or EPC sources. |
| Conduction and switching loss | GaN can reduce switching loss in suitable high-frequency designs. EPC positions its devices for improved efficiency in 48-V systems; actual results depend on the circuit and operating conditions. | Comparable loss measurements are not stated in the cited TI or EPC sources. |
| Power density and magnetics | TI reported that an integrated-driver automotive GaN family could achieve twice the power density and 59% smaller power magnetics than existing solutions (2020 vendor application claim). This is not a universal vehicle-level result. | The comparison baseline is described by TI as existing solutions; separate silicon-only figures are not stated in the cited source. |
| Thermal design and cooling | Thermal performance depends on the selected part, package, PCB and operating conditions. A thermal comparison is not stated in the cited sources. | A comparable thermal figure is not stated in the cited sources. |
| EMI and layout | Fast switching edges make gate-loop inductance, timing and PCB layout important, and require attention to electromagnetic interference (EMI). | Relative EMI performance is not established by the cited sources; layout and switching behavior remain design-specific. |
| Automotive qualification | Qualification is part-specific: TI lists AEC-Q100 for the LMG1025-Q1 driver, while EPC cites AEC-Q101 for its eGaN devices. | No silicon MOSFET qualification comparison is stated in the cited sources. Check the qualification status of the exact part. |
| Gate-driver availability and total system cost | TI’s LMG1025-Q1 is one automotive driver option. A general cost advantage or total-system-cost comparison is not established; EPC’s cost claim applies to its 48-V system positioning. | Comparable driver availability and system-cost figures are not stated in the cited sources. |
What the published device and power-stage figures show
Published figures illustrate the range of applications, but they describe different parts and test or application contexts. They should not be treated as directly comparable ratings.
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| Part or example | Published figures | Publisher and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| LMG1025-Q1 gate driver | 1.25-ns minimum input pulse width; 2.6-ns rising and 2.9-ns falling propagation delay. | Texas Instruments product information, 2024. TI lists AEC-Q100 for this part. |
| EPC2206 eGaN FET | 80 V, 2.2 mΩ and 390 A pulsed current. | EPC, 2018. EPC cites AEC-Q101 for its eGaN devices; verify the status and conditions for the exact part. |
| EPC2212 eGaN FET | 100 V, 13.5 mΩ and 75 A pulsed current. | EPC, 2018. EPC cites AEC-Q101 for its eGaN devices; verify the status and conditions for the exact part. |
| Three-stage inverter example | 48 V, 10 A and 98.5% efficiency in an illustrated 100-kHz inverter. | Texas Instruments white paper, 2018. This is an illustrated application result, not a guaranteed efficiency for a production vehicle. |
| Integrated-driver automotive GaN family | Twice the power density, 99% efficiency and 59% smaller power magnetics than existing solutions. | Texas Instruments, 2020. These are vendor-reported application claims, not universal field results. |
Can GaN make LiDAR see farther?
It can help a transmitter generate higher-current pulses, which EPC says may help a LiDAR system discern objects at greater distances. That does not mean a GaN FET by itself extends a sensor’s rated or real-world range. Range depends on the complete optical and electronic system, including the laser, receiver, signal processing, environmental conditions and eye-safety limits. The defensible conclusion is that GaN can enable a transmitter design with pulse characteristics useful for range and resolution, not that it guarantees either outcome.
What engineers must account for
GaN’s fast switching is useful only when the surrounding circuit can control it. The gate loop, timing, PCB layout, thermal design and EMI behavior all require attention. Parasitic inductance or poor layout can undermine pulse quality and create unwanted electrical noise; thermal limits and device ratings still apply.
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- Check the exact part’s qualification. TI lists AEC-Q100 for LMG1025-Q1; EPC cites AEC-Q101 for its eGaN devices. Do not assume every GaN transistor is automotive-qualified.
- Validate the driver and FET together. Confirm pulse-width capability, propagation delay, voltage and current ratings against the laser and intended operating conditions.
- Design for the complete power stage. Evaluate conduction and switching loss, heat flow, magnetics and EMI in the intended layout rather than transferring a vendor efficiency figure directly to a vehicle.
- Keep eye safety at system level. A short electrical pulse or a component’s stated capability is not, by itself, evidence that the complete optical design meets applicable safety requirements.
What GaN does—and does not—change
GaN is an enabling power-switch technology for LiDAR pulse generation and vehicle power conversion. It can help designers pursue shorter, higher-current pulses and compact, efficient power stages. It does not replace the LiDAR sensor, establish a specific range improvement on its own, or substitute for the cameras, radar and other sensors used together in an autonomous-driving system.
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