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Littelfuse, Inc. announced the launch of its TPSMB Asymmetrical TVS Diode Series, the first-to-market asymmetrical transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode specifically designed for the protection of Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET gate drivers in automotive applications.
This innovative product addresses the increasing demand for reliable overvoltage protection in next-generation electric vehicle (EV) systems, delivering a compact, single-component solution that replaces multiple Zener diodes or TVS components traditionally used for gate driver protection. View the video.
The TPSMB Asymmetrical TVS Diode Series provides superior protection for SiC MOSFET gate drivers, which are prone to overvoltage events due to faster switching speeds compared to traditional silicon-based MOSFETs or IGBTs. The unique asymmetrical design of the TPSMB Series supports SiC MOSFETs’ differing positive and negative gate driver voltage ratings, ensuring enhanced performance in a variety of demanding automotive power applications where SiC MOSFETs are used, including:
- Onboard chargers (OBCs)
- EV traction Inverters
- I/O interfaces
- Vcc buses
These applications demand high-performance overvoltage protection (OVP) for SiC MOSFET gate drivers to ensure optimal performance, longevity, and efficiency.
Charlie Cai, Director of Product Management, Protection Business, Littelfuse, emphasizes the value this product brings to automotive engineers: “The TPSMB Asymmetrical TVS Diode Series offers an innovative solution for SiC MOSFET gate driver protection, eliminating the need for multiple components and simplifying the design process for engineers. Its compact, reliable design ensures that critical automotive power systems are safeguarded against overvoltage events, supporting the continued advancement of electric vehicles and other high-performance applications.”
The TPSMB Asymmetrical Series Surface-Mount TVS Diode offers the following key features and benefits:
- A Single-Component SiC MOSFET Gate Driver Protection: Eliminates the need for multiple Zener or TVS diodes, streamlining design and reducing component count.
- Asymmetrical Gate Driver Voltage Protection: Designed to protect SiC MOSFET gate drivers, which require different negative and positive voltage ratings.
- Compact Design: Available in a DO-214AA (SMB J-Bend) package, the series is ideal for space-constrained automotive designs.
- Automotive-Grade Quality: AEC-Q101-qualified, ensuring the highest reliability for automotive applications.
- High Power Dissipation: 600W peak pulse power dissipation (10×1000μs waveform) offers robust protection against transient overvoltage events.
- Low Clamping Voltage: VC < 10 V @ 30 A (8/20 µs) for optimal negative gate drive protection.
- Wide Frequency Stability: Stable capacitance across a wide operating frequency range, up to 2 MHz, making it ideal for SiC MOSFET applications.
- Compatible with Leading SiC MOSFETs: Suited for use with Littelfuse and other market-leading automotive SiC MOSFETs.
Original – Littelfuse
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X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE has launched XSICM03, its next-generation XbloX platform, advancing Silicon Carbide (SiC) process technology for power MOSFETs, delivering significantly reduced cell pitch, enabling increased die per wafer and improved on-state resistance without compromising reliability.
XbloX is X-FAB’s streamlined business process and technology platform designed to accelerate the development of advanced SiC MOSFET technology. It integrates qualified SiC process development blocks and modules for planar MOSFET production, simplifying the onboarding process and significantly reducing design risks and product development time.
By combining proven process modules with robust design rules, control plans, and FMEAs, XbloX enables faster prototyping, easier design evaluation, and shorter time to market. This approach gives customers a competitive edge, allowing designers to create a diverse product portfolio while achieving production timelines up to nine months faster than traditional development methods.
This next generation platform provides active area design cell size reduction while maintaining robust process controls, as well as leakage and breakdown device performance. The XSICM03 platform with robust design rules allows customers to create SiC planar MOSFETs with a cell pitch that is over 25% smaller than the previous generation.
This improvement allows for up to a 30% increase in die per wafer compared to the previous generation. Leveraging proven process blocks, the platform ensures exceptional gate oxide reliability and device robustness. The enriched PCM library and enhanced design support allow for fast customer tape-out, resulting in faster product development.
Rico Tillner, CEO, X-FAB Texas explains: “With its streamlined approach, our next-generation process platform addresses the increasing demand for high-performance SiC devices in automotive, industrial, and energy applications. We enable existing and new customers in creating application-optimized product portfolios through accelerated prototyping and design evaluation, significantly reducing time to market.”
The next generation platform XSICM03 is now available for early access.
Original – X-FAB Silicon Foundries
