Infineon Debuts First In-House JANS-Certified Radiation-Hardened GaN Transistors for Space Applications

Infineon Technologies AG has unveiled the first in a new line of radiation-hardened Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors, produced entirely in-house at its foundry and built on its established CoolGaN™ platform. These advanced transistors are specifically engineered to perform under the extreme conditions of space, marking a significant milestone as Infineon’s first internally manufactured GaN devices to earn the highest reliability certification from the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under the Joint Army Navy Space (JANS) Specification MIL-PRF-19500/794.

The newly released GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) devices are tailored for mission-critical operations in spaceborne platforms, including on-orbit satellites, manned missions, and deep-space exploration vehicles. By merging the performance advantages of GaN HEMT technology with Infineon’s more than five decades of experience in high-reliability components, these transistors offer superior efficiency, thermal performance, and power density—key attributes for developing compact, lightweight, and dependable space systems. This GaN product family expands upon Infineon’s well-established radiation-hardened silicon MOSFET offerings, giving customers a comprehensive suite of power solutions for space environments.

The initial trio of products in this new radiation-hardened GaN series are 100 V, 52 A transistors that boast an industry-leading drain-source on-resistance (RDS(on)) of just 4 mΩ (typical) and a total gate charge (Qg) of 8.8 nC (typical). Packaged in durable, hermetically sealed ceramic surface-mount enclosures, the devices are hardened against Single Event Effects (SEE) up to a Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of 70 MeV·cm²/mg (gold ion). Two of the devices are screened to Total Ionizing Dose (TID) levels of 100 krad and 500 krad, though not JANS-certified. The third device, qualified to the 500 krad TID level, meets the full requirements of the JANS MIL-PRF-19500/794 specification.

Infineon stands as the first company in the industry to secure DLA JANS certification for GaN power transistors fully manufactured in-house. Achieving this certification demands stringent screening protocols and adherence to high Quality of Service Class standards, reinforcing the devices’ reliability and performance for spaceflight applications. To further guarantee consistent manufacturing quality over time, Infineon is executing multiple production lots ahead of the full JANS production ramp-up.

Engineering samples and evaluation boards are already available, with the release of the final JANS-certified device scheduled for summer 2025. Infineon also plans to introduce additional JANS-qualified products soon, broadening the range of voltages and current ratings to provide designers with increased flexibility in developing efficient and robust space-grade systems.