bPOL48V, a rad-hard 48V DC/DC Converter for Space and HEP Applications

A radiation-hard DC/DC converter has been developed at CERN, which tolerates a higher input voltage (up to 48 V) and provides a larger output power than existing solutions. It is called bPOL48V, and it employs a commercial Gallium Nitride power device and a CERN-developed control ASIC (GaN_Controller). bPOL48V can provide 10 A of output current at efficiencies higher than 95%, it features a radiation tolerance for space and high energy physics (HEP) requirements, being able to withstand 228 MRad for TID, LET = 88.8 MeV center dot cm(2)/mg for SEE, 2.23 center dot 10(14) p/cm(2) for protons irradiation, and 4 center dot 10(14) n/cm(2) neutrons irradiation.