Since electronic devices have begun to gain immense prominence, there hasn't been a time where you are required to use less energy to power them. They pack on additional functionalities, including new parts, and change their design and size, but none of these reduce their power consumption. The latest MacBooks, iPhones, game controllers, Samsung phones, and many more come with increases in power requirements, and slowly, the current crop of chargers are becoming less effective in supplying the needed power.

For decades, researchers have worked round-the-clock in search of how to improve the efficiency of silicon-based transistors. In all of that time, not too many great strides have been achieved.

Rather than silicon providing the needed breakthrough, a different semiconductor, GaN, has proven to be what new transistors will need in devices. GaN stands for Gallium Nitride, a semiconductor that gained popularity in the 90s when it was widely used to manufacture LEDs. The next time you see the blue lasers on your DVD, white LEDs, or the full color-spectrum LEDs, think GaN.

How Does GaN Make Charging Better?

According to experts, GaN chargers require fewer components than Silicon chargers, and they conduct higher voltages for a longer period. This way, your GaN charger transfers current efficiently and conserves more energy. In the end, it trickles down to the amount of consumed energy you have to pay for, even if by just a small fraction.

In simple technical terms, Gallium nitride has a larger bandgap, 3.4 eV, compared to silicon, 1.12 eV. The bandgap indicates the conductivity of a solid material. From a study conducted by EPCC, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, because GaN has a higher bandgap efficiency, it gives room for future improvements in processing speeds in chips.

As a result of the capability to conduct higher voltages for a longer time, GaN chargers tend to generate low heat compared to silicon chargers that supply the same unit of power. A GaN charger requiring fewer components to supply the adequate power your device needs to charge means that the GaN charger can be relatively smaller and still do a better job at charging your device.

Essentially, you use less to do more with a GaN charger. Our philosophy here at VOLTA is to improve your life with simple but efficient consumer tech products that are safe for you and the environment.

The Best Ways To Use GaN Charger

Long hours of charging

If you've ever had to work through the night on your laptop, and you came in contact with the power brick for your charger, you can testify that it is usually hot after a couple of hours. With a GaN charger, even when you use it for a stretched number of hours, you will notice a significant drop in heat production. The power delivery requirements to charge MacBooks and similar PCs generate so much heat, and using a GaN Charger is the best solution.

Backpacking and Travelling

The ideal product option for any backpacker or anyone taking a trip is the lightest version of that product. However, many times, that option comes with a lot of sacrifices.

GaN Chargers are not only lightweight and portable, but they also deliver better results than chargers using silicon-based transistors. You can be sure of a charger that would provide you with all the power you need in a small, compact size, ready to go whenever you are.

In the years to come, be prepared to see more GaN chargers available at lower prices, but until then, only a few manufacturers have the technology to produce this Charger.