How Apple is lifting the chip material gallium nitride into the mass market

Munich The recent unveiling of Apple’s new laptops generated a buzz among industry specialists, though it went largely unnoticed by the general public. The tech behemoth’s incorporation of gallium nitride (GaN) chips in its MacBook Pro power supplies marked a significant first.

While Apple isn’t the pioneer in employing this advanced semiconductor material as a silicon alternative in chargers, its adoption could propel this innovative technology into widespread use.

The advantages for consumers are readily apparent. “GaN chips enable significantly faster charging for cell phones, tablets, and laptops,” explains Andreas Urschitz, head of Infineon’s Power & Sensor Systems division. Infineon, a DAX-listed company, is a global leader in power semiconductor production for power supplies.