woman with smartphone charger

Chargers and adapters go green

Can you imagine life without communication devices? Living without laptop or cell phone? However, they are of no use to us if the battery is empty. So, chargers are one of those tiny things of great importance. Just like semiconductors, making them efficient, small and powerful.

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Article

Jul 07, 2025

Cool down

It's an invisible, but crucial task. Your charger is responsible for powering your smart phone, tablet and other devices with the "right" type of current and voltage. This means it transforms alternating current into direct current and converts the original voltage of 230V (110V in the US) to a lower voltage the device can use, e.g. 5V. Otherwise, your device will not charge and may even be damaged. However, energy is lost during this transformation. We can feel it: the charger gets warm – or even hot, depending on the components and the quality of the electronic system.

Energy savings: The sum total makes it

State-of-the-art microelectronics inside the device can significantly reduce this waste heat. Here, the semiconductor technology gallium nitride (GaN) has particularly fitting properties: These transistor components enable a higher switching frequency in the voltage converter while keeping loss at very low levels. Put simply: GaN semiconductors help save electrical energy in the device – to a remarkable extent.

ee campaign dyk fact chargers
ee campaign dyk fact chargers
ee campaign dyk fact chargers

Less material, less e-waste

Lower heat generation is important, and at the same time, we need powerful and convenient devices. GaN can solve this challenge too. The size of the device can be reduced with no loss in performance. Conversely, a charger of the original size can handle more devices without compromising the charging time. Technically speaking, GaN semiconductors enable a higher "power density". As a result, Infineon’s GaN technology contributes to various environmental benefits: saving materials and resources, limiting transportation efforts, and reducing e-waste.

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The green move to USB-C

An important new regulation in the EU will take effect as of December 2024: Smartphones, tablets, and headphones will have to be equipped with a USB-C port, mainly for sustainability reasons. Later, other types of devices will follow. In the near future, only one standard connector will be necessary for delivering power to various electronic devices: This also means that we significantly reduce the number of chargers and thus cut electronic waste. Infineon’s semiconductors, including GaN power stages and transistors, are driving this new technology: They enable efficient and fast charging.

EE campaign USB-C less waste graphics
EE campaign USB-C less waste graphics
EE campaign USB-C less waste graphics

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