Radiation-hardened (rad hard) gallium nitride drivers and power stages have been engineered by EPC Space for use in critical spaceborne systems. The devices integrate a high-speed gate drive circuit with power switches to provide a complete power stage in a small package.
The electronics onboard satellites are continuously exposed to gamma rays, neutrons and heavy ions which can lead to degradation, interruptions, and discontinuities in the performance of equipment. The new power drivers are resistant to these effects and deliver performance advantages over competitive silicon-based rad hard 
Source: EPC Spacepower metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors. The GaN devices are smaller and offer superior switching performance compared to silicon solutions.
The drivers are optimized to drive rad hard GaN transistors in critical spaceborne systems. The power stages integrate a high-speed gate drive circuit with power switches to provide a complete power stage in a tiny footprint for smaller, lower weight systems. The drivers and power stages are designed to provide superior radiation hardness under heavy ion single-event effects and gamma radiation.
Critical spaceborne applications that will benefit from the improved performance and lower weight delivered by these devices include power supplies for satellites and mission equipment, light detection and ranging (lidar) for robotics and autonomous navigation and rendezvous docking, motor drives for robotics and instrumentation, and ion thrusters for satellite orientation and positioning as well as interplanetary propulsion of low-mass robotic vehicles.
