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Qorvo® unveiled an automotive-qualified silicon carbide (SiC) field effect transistor (FET) offering an industry-best 9mΩ RDS(on) in a compact D2PAK-7L package. This 750V SiC FET is the first in a new family of pin-compatible SiC FETs from Qorvo with RDS(on) options up to 60mΩ, making them well suited for electric vehicle (EV) applications, including on-board chargers, DC/DC converters and positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater modules.
The UJ4SC075009B7S features a 9mΩ typical RDS(on) at 25°C needed for reducing conduction losses and maximizing efficiency in high voltage, multi-kilowatt automotive applications. Its small, surface-mount package enables automated assembly flows and reduces customer manufacturing costs. This new 750V family complements Qorvo’s existing 1200V and 1700V automotive SiC FETs in D2PAK packaging to form a complete portfolio addressing EV applications that span 400V and 800V battery architectures.
Ramanan Natarajan, director of Product Line Marketing for Qorvo’s Power Products, said, “The launch of this new family of SiC FETs demonstrates our commitment to providing EV powertrain designers the most advanced and efficient solutions for their unique automotive power challenges.”
These fourth generation SiC FETs leverage Qorvo’s unique cascode circuit configuration, in which a SiC JFET is co-packaged with a Si MOSFET to produce a device with the efficiency advantages of wide bandgap switch technology and the simpler gate drive of silicon MOSFETs. Efficiency in SiC FETs is dependent on conduction losses, and Qorvo’s cascode/JFET approach enables reduced conduction losses through industry-best RDS(on) and body diode reverse voltage drop.
The key features of the UJ4SC075009B7S include:
- Threshold voltage VG(th): 4.5V (typical) allowing 0 to 15V drive
- Low body diode VFSD: 1.1V
- Maximum operating temperature: 175°C
- Excellent reverse recovery: Qrr = 338 nC
- Low gate charge: QG = 75 nC
- Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q101-qualified
Original – Qorvo
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MCC Semi launched the components engineered to satisfy the diverse requirements of demanding applications: eight low-profile Schottky barrier rectifiers with a common cathode configuration, low forward voltage, and countless possibilities.
A sleek and compact TO-263AC package delivers a typical height of only 1.7mm, translating to compatibility with the popular D2PAK footprint and seamless integration into existing designs.
Engineered to reduce power losses and optimize performance you can count on, these components are available in working voltage ranges from 45V to 200V and a forward current of 20A to 30A per device.
Ideal for freewheeling diodes, switch-mode power supplies, motor controls, and many other rugged applications, MCC’s selection of Schottky barrier rectifiers is a go-to solution when space is limited, but expectations are not.
Features & Benefits:
- Low forward voltage design minimizes power losses
- Low-profile TO-263AC package with a typical height of 1.7mm for space-saving performance
- Compatible with the popular D2PAK footprint for added versatility
- Wide working voltage range from 45V to 200V
- Forward current options of 20A and 30A per device
Original – Micro Commercial Components
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced the coming release of six new J3-Series power semiconductor modules for various electric vehicles (xEVs), featuring either a silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) or a RC-IGBT (Si), with compact designs and scalability for use in the inverters of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). All six J3-Series products will be available for sample shipments from March 25.
The new power modules will be exhibited at the 38th Electronics R&D, Manufacturing and Packaging Technology Expo (NEPCON JAPAN 2024) from January 24 to 26 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan, as well as other exhibitions in North America, Europe, China and additional locations.
As power semiconductors capable of efficiently converting electricity expand and diversify in response to decarbonization initiatives, the demand is increasing for SiC power semiconductors offering significantly reduced power loss. In the xEV sector, power semiconductor modules are used widely in power conversion devices such as inverters for xEV drive motors.
In addition to extending the cruising range of xEVs, compact, high-power, high-efficiency modules are needed to further downsize batteries and inverters. But due to the high safety standards set for xEVs, power semiconductors used in drive motors must be more reliable than those used in general industrial applications.
Development of these SiC products was partially supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
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MCC Semi announced the latest lineup of innovative bridge rectifiers — GBUA10M-BP, GBUA4M-BP, and GBUA6M-BP. With 1000V capacity and a low profile, these components deliver unmatched excellence in the smallest of spaces.
Fully compatible with the GBU pin layout, these rectifiers boast an outstanding 42% reduction in height, creating more room for design flexibility. Power adapters, lighting systems, and other applications with space and height constraints are ideal for power rectification with these compact powerhouses.
Available in three high-voltage options with current ratings from 4A to 10A, MCC’s new bridge rectifiers ensure the performance and reliability you need in a space-saving JC package.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll take advantage of cost and energy savings on top of uncompromising efficiency and performance.
Features & Benefits:
- High voltage capacity of 1000V
- Current ratings from 4A to 10A
- High thermal stability
- Low profile design
- Space-saving construction
- Cost-effective solution
- Compatible with GBU pin layout
- Compact JC package
Original – Micro Commercial Components
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Transphorm, Inc. announced availability of two new SuperGaN® devices in a 4-lead TO-247 package (TO-247-4L). The new TP65H035G4YS and TP65H050G4YS FETs offer a 35 mOhm and 50 mOhm on resistance respectively, complete with a kelvin-source terminal that gives customers versatile switching capabilities with even lower energy losses.
The new products will run on Transphorm’s well-established GaN-on-Silicon substrate manufacturing process that is cost-effective, reliable, and well-suited for high volume manufacturing on silicon production lines. The 50 mOhm TP65H050G4YS FET is currently available while the 35mOhm TP65H035G4YS FET is sampling and slated for release in calendar Q1’2024.
Transphorm’s 4-lead SuperGaN devices can serve as an original design-in option or as a drop-in replacement for 4-lead silicon and SiC solutions supporting power supplies at 1 kilowatt and up in a wide range of data center, renewables, and broad industrial applications. As noted, the 4-lead configuration offers flexibility to users for further improved switching performance.
In a hard-switched synchronous boost converter, the 35 mOhm SuperGaN 4-lead FET reduced losses by 15 percent at 50 kilohertz (kHz) and by 27 percent at 100 kHz when compared to a SiC MOSFET device with a comparable on resistance.
Transphorm’s SuperGaN FETs are known for delivering differentiating advantages such as:
- Industry-leading robustness with a +/- 20 V gate threshold and a 4 V noise immunity.
- Easier designability by reducing the amount of circuitry required around the device.
- Easier drivability as FETs can pair with well-known, off-the shelf drivers common to silicon devices.
The TO-247-4L devices offer the same robustness, designability, and drivability with the following core specifications:
Part Number Vds (V) min Rds(on) (mΩ) typ Vth (V) typ Id (25°C) (A) max Package Variation TP65H035G4YS 650 35 3.6 46.5 Source TP65H050G4YS 650 50 4 35 Source “We continue to expand our product portfolio to bring to market GaN FETs that help customers leverage our SuperGaN platform performance advantages in whatever design requirement they may have,” said Philip Zuk, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, Transphorm.
“The four-lead TO-247 package provides flexibility for designers and customers seeking even greater power system loss reductions with little to no design modifications on silicon or silicon carbide systems. It’s an important addition to our product line as we ramp into higher power applications.”
Original – Transphorm
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EPC introduces three evaluation boards – EPC9179, EPC9181, and EPC9180 – featuring pulse current laser drivers of 75 A, 125 A, and 231 A , showcasing EPC’s AEC-Q101 GaN FETs. These FETs; EPC2252, EPC2204A, and EPC2218A are 30% smaller and more cost-effective than their predecessors. Designed for both long and short-range automotive lidar systems, these boards expedite solution evaluation with varied input and output options.
All boards share identical functionality, differing only in peak current and pulse width. Utilizing a resonant discharge power stage, they employ a ground-referenced GaN FET driven by LMG1020 gate driver. The GaN FET’s ultrafast switching enables rapid discharge of a charged capacitor through the load’s stray inductance, enabling peak discharge currents of tens to hundreds of amps within nanoseconds.
The printed circuit board is designed to minimize power loops and common source inductance while offering mounting flexibility for laser diodes or alternative loads. To enhance user-friendliness, all boards ship with EPC9989 interposer PCBs, featuring various footprints to accommodate a variety of laser diodes or other loads. Customers can choose one that meets their needs to evaluate the GaN solutions.
The EPC9179/81/80 boards are designed to be triggered from 3.3V logic or differential logic signals such as LVDS. For single-ended inputs, the boards can operate with input voltages down to 2.5 V or 1.8 V with a simple modification. Designing an automotive lidar system is complex, and finding a reliable solution is challenging. The purpose of these evaluation boards is to simplify the evaluation of powerful GaN-based lidar drivers that switch faster and deliver higher pulse current than other semiconductor solutions. For technical details, EPC offers full schematics, bill of materials (BOM), PCB layout files, and a quick start guide on EPC’s website.
“To meet the growing demand for automotive lidar, these cost-effective boards, featuring our latest AEC products, streamline evaluation, reducing time-to-market with exceptional switching performance,” said Alex Lidow, CEO, and co-founder of EPC.
Original – EPC
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Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. announced the launch of the second product in its High Voltage Power portfolio. Allegro’s AHV85111 isolated gate-driver IC adds critical safety features while simplifying the design of high-power energy conversion systems for e-Mobility and clean energy applications, including OBC/DCDC, solar inverter and datacenter power supply.
“Allegro continues to build upon the technology from our acquisitions in order to expand our High Voltage Power portfolio aimed at helping designers achieve their efficiency and power density needs in clean energy and e-Mobility systems,” said Vijay Mangtani, Vice President and General Manager for High Voltage Power at Allegro. “The bipolar-output of our latest device improves noise immunity and significantly simplifies high-frequency power-converter designs.”
Building upon Allegro’s existing power-thru technology, the AHV85111 was designed to meet designer demands for a simple, streamlined and safe solution. The AHV85111 gate driver adds bipolar-output, a critical feature that significantly improves time to market by eliminating the need to design a complicated negative isolated DC power supply and removing unnecessary external components.
Allegro’s newest power-thru solution also adds crucial safety features that were designed to protect against high operating temperatures in electric powertrain systems, as well as reactions to noisy environments that may be present in microinverters in solar applications, power supply in datacenter applications or on-board chargers for electric vehicles.
The AHV85111 gate driver packs all the benefits of Allegro’s power-thru technology, including 10x lower common-mode capacitance, a 50% smaller footprint, 10x noise reduction and a 50% efficiency improvement compared to competitor offerings, while also providing overtemperature protection that further improves the robustness of system.
Original – Allegro MicroSystems
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onsemi announced the availability of nine new EliteSiC Power Integrated Modules (PIMs) enabling bidirectional charging capabilities for DC ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers and energy storage systems (ESS). The silicon carbide-based solutions will dramatically improve system cost with higher efficiency and simpler cooling mechanisms that can reduce size by up to 40% and weight by up to 52% compared to traditional silicon-based IGBT solutions.
With more compact, lighter charging platforms, designers will have all the key building blocks that are needed to quickly deploy a reliable, efficient and scalable network of DC fast chargers that can charge electric vehicle batteries up to 80% in as little as 15 minutes.
According to J.D. Power’s 2023 Electric Vehicle Consideration Study, nearly half of U.S. consumers note the reason for not purchasing an electric vehicle is the access to charging and the ability to do so quickly, to ensure the driving experience is as easy and seamless as with a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. In the U.S., the availability of EV chargers needs to quadruple by 2025 and 8x by the end of the decade to keep up with demand and ensure drivers have equitable access to public charging stations.
In turn, this rapid increase in demand for electricity will also put a tremendous strain on current electrical grids, potentially overloading them. To mitigate this problem, bidirectional charging has emerged as a key solution to implement vehicle-to-grid which allows both regular battery charging and the ability to use an EV as an energy storage system to power your home when needed.
This solution helps enable a DC fast charging network and vehicle-to-grid power transfer systems, addressing access and speed with its ability to recharge a vehicle faster than other methods that take hours or even days.
onsemi offers the most comprehensive portfolio of PIMs to address the key topologies on the market. This gives designers the flexibility to pick the right PIM for power conversion stages in their DC fast charging or energy storage system applications. To accelerate the design cycle, advanced piecewise linear electrical circuit simulation (PLECS) models through our Self-Service PLECS model Generator and application simulation with the Elite Power Simulator of this portfolio will also be made available to designers.
For each module, onsemi uses die from the same wafer to ensure more consistency and reliability so designers don’t have to use discretes from different suppliers, which can lead to varying performance results. In addition to its reliability, this module portfolio offers the following benefits:
- Uses the Gen3 M3S SiC MOSFET technology which offers the lowest switching losses and highest efficiency in the industry
- Supports key topologies such as multi-level T-type neutral point clamp (TNPC), half-bridge and full-bridge topologies
- Supports scalable output power from 25 kW to 100 kW, enabling multiple DC fast charging and energy storage systems platforms including bidirectional charging
- Industry-standard F1 and F2 packages with the option of pre-applied Thermal Interface Material (TIM) and press fit pins
- Enables optimal thermal management, avoiding system failure due to overheating
- Full SiC modules offer energy conservation by minimizing power losses, directly translating to cost and energy savings
- Offers more robustness and dependability, ensuring consistent operations
Original – onsemi
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Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited announced the release of two αMOS5™ 600V FRD Super Junction MOSFETs. αMOS5™ is AOS’s market and application-proven high voltage MOSFET platform, designed to meet the high efficiency and high-density needs of servers, workstations, telecom rectifiers, solar Inverters, EV charging, motor drives and industrial power applications.
The design of today’s mid-high power switched-mode power supply (SMPS) and solar inverter systems boil down to four major challenges – higher efficiency, higher density, lower system costs, and uncompromised robustness. High Voltage Super Junction MOSFETs are dominant the choice for topologies such as single/interleaved/dual boost/CrCM TP PFCs, LLC, PSFB, multi-level NPC/ANPC and so forth.
αMOS5™ has been the leading High Voltage Super Junction solution tailored for fast switching, ease-of use and robustness in mission-critical applications. αMOS5™ FRD FETs are engineered with strong intrinsic body diode to handle hard commutation scenarios, when the freewheeling body diode is in reverse recovery due to abnormal operations, such as short-circuit or start-up transients.
The two products released, the AOK095A60FD (TO-247) and AOTF125A60FDL (TO-220F), are 600V FRD FETs with 95mohm and 125mohm maximum Rdson, respectively. In tests conducted by AOS engineers, the body diodes of these two FRD FETs have survived high di/dt, under abnormal system conditions, even at elevated junction temperatures of up to 150°C. Additionally, AOS tests have shown that these devices’ turn off energy (Eoff) are noticeably lower than the competition’s, which contributes to higher efficiency in light or mid-load conditions.
“We defined our products for traditional power supplies, as well as DC/DC and DC/AC converters of solar inverters and ESS systems, where bi-directional topologies are needed. As energy storage-ready inverters become the trend and high voltage batteries are utilized increasingly in AC-coupled systems, the AOK095A60FD and AOTF125A60FDL will become industry leading solutions for bi-directional DC/DC and inverter/PFC applications that serve a wide range of power supplies, solar PV inverters, and ESS hybrid converters,” said Richard Zhang, Senior Director of Product Line and Global Power Supply Business at AOS.
Technical Highlights
- Rugged, fast recovery diode (FRD) with reduced Qrr for demanding use cases
- Engineered for both hard and soft switching topologies with ultra-low switching loss
- Strong UIS and SOA capabilities
- Engineered to prevent self turn-on
- Suitable for LLC, PSFB, CrCM Totem-Pole, Multi-level NPC and CrCM H-4/Cyclo Inverter applications
Original – Alpha and Omega Semiconductor
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Teledyne e2v HiRel announced the addition of new space screened versions of its popular 100 V, 90 A and 650 V, 30 A high reliability gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs).
- TDG650E30BSP
- TDG100E90BSP
- TDG100E90TSP
The new parts go through NASA Level 1 or ESA Class 1 screening flow and can be brought up to full Level 1 conformance with extra qualification testing if desired. Typical applications include battery management, dc-dc converters, and space motor drives.
Two new 100 V parts are available with both bottom-side and top-side cooled packaging. One new 650 V 30 A GaN-on-Silicon power transistor is available in a bottom-side cooled package. Each device is available with options for EAR99 or European sourcing.
Teledyne e2v HiRel’s GaN HEMTs feature single wafer lot traceability, extended temperature performance from -55 to +125°C, and low inductance, low thermal resistance packaging.
“Our customers have embraced the previous release of 650 V space screened devices, and we have expanded our portfolio to provide additional options. These GaN HEMT products save customers time and money by providing standard devices without the need for additional screening.” said Mont Taylor, VP of Business Development for Teledyne e2v HiRel. “Our expanded catalog with standard burn-in make it easy for designers to utilize the latest in GaN in their designs.”
Gallium nitride devices have revolutionized power conversion in other industries and are now available in radiation tolerant, plastic encapsulated options that have undergone stringent reliability and electrical testing to help ensure mission critical success. The release of these new GaN HEMTs delivers to customers the efficiency, size, and power-density benefits required in critical aerospace and defense power applications.
Original – Teledyne e2v HiRel
