With the current maturity of Class-D audio amplifier architectures, amplifier fidelity and efficiency limitations are primarily at the device level. Silicon MOSFETs have been evolving for almost forty years, and their progress towards a perfect switch has slowed dramatically. There are some fundamental characteristics of MOSFETs that degrade sound quality and efficiency. In 2010, the enhancement mode Gallium nitride (GaN) power FET was introduced by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), providing a large step towards the perfect switch.

Authors: Colino, Stephen; Taylor, Skip
Affiliations: Efficient Power Conversion Corp., Bear, DE, USA; Elegant Audio Solutions, Austin, TX, USA(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Convention: 142 (May 2017) Paper Number: 9735
Publication Date: May 11, 2017
Subject: Audio Systems, Design, Amplifiers

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