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SiC power devices are changing and reshaping many industries today, providing numerous benefits over fundamental silicon-based semiconductors. One of the key advantages is a dramatically reduced power losses with increased efficiency achieved through silicon carbide exceptional material properties. SiC power semiconductors can operate at higher frequencies and temperatures delivering higher power densities and reduced cooling requirements. One of the industries benefiting much from the use of SiC power devices is the energy storage.
Adopting silicon carbide technology, energy storage systems can deliver great energy saving and much better overall system performance.
Reliability is one of the major requirements for any power electronics system, and ESS is no exception. That is why many ESS companies today choose SiC technology over Si. Silicon carbide power devices provide increased robustness and resistance when it comes to operating in extreme conditions. SiC temperature robustness allows to eliminate the risk of the system overheating – one of the major reasons for failure.
Leading the development process of SiC power devices for a variety of emerging applications including vehicle electrification, photovoltaics, and, of course, battery energy storage systems, Leapers Semiconductor is expanding its portfolio of the hybrid modules with the 3-level power module to provide increased reliability for the ESS, solar, and the other 3-level applications.
The all new DFH10AL12EZC1 power module integrates 1200V SiC MOSFET chips and 1200V IGBT chips in E2 package designed to correspond to high requirements set by the above-mentioned applications.
Leapers Semiconductor DFH10AL12EZC1 hybrid power module features:
- Blocking voltage:1200V
- Rds(on): 9.5mΩ (VGS =15V)/8.3mΩ (VGS =18V)
- Low Switching Losses
- High current density
- Press FIT Contact Technology
- 175°C maximum junction temperature
- Thermistor inside
DFH10AL12EZC1 hybrid power modules guarantee the enhanced efficiency, improved power conversion, and increased overall reliability and durability with reduced system size.
The other applications that will benefit from DFH10AL12EZC1 include:
- Solar inverter Systems
- Three-level Systems
- Energy Storage Systems
- High Frequency Switching Systems
Original – Leapers Semiconductor
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A small footprint of discrete power MOSFETs plays a critical role in achieving space savings, cost reduction, and easy-to-design applications. Additionally, higher power density can lead to layout routing flexibility and overall system size reduction. By expanding the current PQFN 2×2 portfolio with the new best-in-class OptiMOS™ power MOSFETs, Infineon Technologies AG offers benchmark solutions optimized for efficiency and performance in a small footprint. The new products are ideal for applications like synchronous rectification in switched mode power supplies (SMPS) for servers, telecom, and portable- and wireless chargers. Additional applications also include electric speed controllers for small brushless motors in drones.
The new OptiMOS 6 40 V and OptiMOS 5 25 V and 30 V power MOSFETs further optimize the proven OptiMOS technology for high-performance designs. They offer leading-edge silicon technology, package reliability, and superior thermal resistance (R thJC, max = 3.2 K/W) in the ultra-small PQFN 2×2 mm² package. The new devices combine industry-leading low on-resistance R DS(on) with industry-leading figures of merit (FOMs, Q G and Q OSS) for outstanding dynamic switching performance. As a result, MOSFETs with ultra-low switching and reduced conduction losses ensure optimal energy efficiency and power density, all while simplifying thermal management.
With the compact PQFN 2×2 mm² package outline, the OptiMOS power switches enable an improved system form factor with smaller, more flexible geometric outlines for end-user applications. The MOSFETs facilitate reliable system design with less need for paralleling, significantly reducing space and system cost.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The European Commission has approved the “Important Project of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies” (IPCEI-ME/CT) with the aim of initiating complex and investment-intensive projects that could not otherwise be realized. This involves 68 projects from 14 member states – and two of those comes from Semikron Danfoss.
Semikron Danfoss is planning the further development of diodes based on thin-wafer technology and the development of a new edge structure – as well as the establishment of automotive module production based on Direct Press Die technology in Nuremberg, a continuation of the activities from the IPCEI on Microelectronics project. And in Slovakia, development activities and an expansion of production for industrial modules are planned.
Projects funded under the IPCEI -ME/CT will enable the development of new technologies and products that will make a decisive contribution to the further reduction of CO2 emissions and will secure growth and jobs in Europe. The Semikron Danfoss projects address the objectives of the European Union to strengthen competitiveness and security of supply in key technologies for both the digital and the green transformation process.
Power semiconductors are an important multiplier along the value chain of many products. The projects also aim to expand European cooperation with universities and research institutes as well as suppliers. The member states are now starting the implementation process and will determine the requirements of the projects based on the EU decision. Thanks to the prior approval of the early start of the initiatives, the projects have already been launched. The official funding commitment from the federal government and the state of Bavaria is expected shortly for Germany.
Original – Semikron Danfoss
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In static switching applications, power designs focus on minimizing conduction losses, optimizing thermal behavior, and achieving compact and lightweight systems while ensuring high quality at a low cost. To meet the needs of next-generation solutions, Infineon Technologies AG is expanding its CoolMOS™ S7 family of high-voltage superjunction (SJ) MOSFETs.
The devices are aiming at SMPS, solar energy systems, battery protection, solid-state relays (SSR), motor-starters and solid-state circuit breakers, as well as PLCs, lighting control, HV eFuse/eDisconnect, (H)EV on-board chargers.
The portfolio extension includes innovative QDPAK top-side cooling (TSC) packages and offers a wide range of features in a small footprint. This makes it highly advantageous for low-frequency switching applications while optimizing cost positioning.
Thanks to the novel high-power QDPAK packaging, they offer an R DS(on) of only 10 mΩ, which is the lowest on the market in this voltage class and the lowest in SMD packages. By minimizing conduction losses of the MOSFETs, the CoolMOS S7/S7A solutions contribute to higher overall efficiency and provide an easy and cost-optimized way to improve system performance.
The CoolMOS S7 power switches also effectively manage heat dissipation with improved thermal resistance. Thanks to the innovative and efficient QDPAK packaging, they also reduce or even eliminate the need for heat sinks in solid-state designs, resulting in more compact and lighter systems.
The MOSFETs are available in both top-side and bottom-side variants, and feature high-pulse current capability, enabling them to handle sudden surges of current. In addition, they exhibit body diode robustness to ensure reliable operation during AC line commutation.
With fewer components required, they reduce part count, resulting in flexible system integration, lower BOM costs, and total cost of ownership (TCO). In addition, these MOSFETs enable shorter reaction times, particularly when breaking a current, facilitating smoother and more efficient operation.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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As digitalization, urbanization, and the rise of electro-mobility continue to shape the rapidly evolving world, the demand for power consumption is reaching unprecedented levels. Acknowledging energy efficiency as an important concern, Infineon Technologies AG addresses these megatrends with its silicon carbide (SiC) CoolSiC™ MOSFET 650 V in TO leadless (TOLL) packaging. The new SiC MOSFETs are enhancing Infineon’s comprehensive CoolSiC portfolio and are optimized for the lowest losses, the highest reliability, and ease-of-use in applications such as SMPS for servers, telecom infrastructure as well as energy storage systems and battery formation solutions.
The CoolSiC 650 V high-performance trench-based power SiC MOSFETs are offered in a very granular portfolio to best suit different target applications. The new family comes in a JEDEC-qualified TOLL package featuring a low parasitic inductance, allowing for higher switching frequency, reduced switching losses, good thermal management, and automated assembly. The compact form factor enables efficient and effective usage of the board space, empowering system designers to achieve exceptional power density.
The CoolSiC MOSFETs 650 V showcase remarkable reliability even in harsh environments, making them an ideal choice for topologies with repetitive hard commutation. The inclusion of the innovative .XT interconnect technology further enhances the devices’ thermal performance by reducing the thermal resistance (R th) and thermal impedance (Z th). In addition, the new devices feature a gate threshold voltage (V GS(th)) greater than 4 V for robustness against parasitic turn-on, a robust body diode, and the strongest gate oxide (GOX) in the market resulting in extremely low FIT (failures in time) rates.
While a cut-off voltage (V GS(off)) of 0 V is generally recommended to simplify the driving circuit (unipolar driving), the new portfolio supports a wide driving interval of V GS voltage within the range of -5 V (turn-off) to 23 V (turn-on). This ensures ease-of-use and compatibility with other SiC MOSFETs and standard MOSFET gate-driver ICs. This is paired with higher reliability, reduced system complexity, and the enablement of automated assembly, reducing system and production costs and accelerating time-to-market.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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NoMIS Power has achieved its latest major milestone with an award from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop rugged Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices to support the electrical power systems of aircraft.
NoMIS Power will develop 1200 V SiC power semiconductor devices (PSDs) through the award. The focus will be on metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with enhanced operational lifetime as well as improved on-state and off-state efficiency at operating temperatures, resulting in lower losses for power electronics engineers to manage.
Solid-state power controllers within aircraft electrical power distribution systems require low on-state losses to enable passive cooling, as well as surge current and voltage overshoot protection during system start-up and fault interrupt. The proposed 1200 V SiC MOSFETs from NoMIS Power will provide airframers and system builders/integrators with the necessary PSD chips capable of high efficiency, long short-circuit withstand time (SCWT), and operational ruggedness for nominal and transient conditions. Moreover, the 1200 V rating will not only support current-generation aircraft utilizing 270 VDC architecture, but also aircraft operating with a +/- 270 VDC (i.e. 540 VDC rail-to-rail) architecture, as well.
NoMIS Power overcomes the limitations of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Si and SiC-based PSDs via a novel SiC device design that is achievable using disruptive manufacturing techniques. As a result, NoMIS SiC devices can withstand higher voltage spikes and current surges during harsh operating conditions, enabling longer power management product lifetime through superior reliability and ruggedness.
Announcing the new award, NoMIS Power CEO Dr. Adam Morgan said, “Our team is very excited to get the opportunity to support strategic groups working to improve the capabilities of our armed forces. We are confident this novel SiC device technology will also have a significant impact on other critical technology markets, such as electric vehicles and grid infrastructure. These efforts will directly support our company’s near-term product launch of next-generation SiC devices.”
Original – NoMIS Power
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Infineon Technologies AG introduced a 62mm half-bridge and common emitter module portfolio with 1200 V TRENCHSTOP™ IGBT7 chips. The wide range of offerings in the proven 62mm housing is extended with the new 800 A maximum current class for the package family. The addition to the portfolio’s current classes provides system designers with a high degree of flexibility in designing higher current power solutions while offering higher power density and electrical performance.
It is tailored to meet the needs of solar central inverters as well as industrial drive applications and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Additionally, EV charging, energy storage systems (ESS) and other new industrial applications can be covered.
Based on the new micro-pattern trench technology, the 62mm module family with the 1200 V TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 chip has significantly lower static losses compared to the modules with the IGBT4 chipset. This results in significant loss reduction in applications, especially in industrial drives that typically operate at moderate switching frequencies. The IGBT’s oscillation behavior and controllability have been improved. In addition, the new power modules feature a maximum overload junction temperature of 175°C.
A solid, nickel-coated copper baseplate and screw main terminals ensure the high mechanical robustness of the 62mm module housing. The main terminals are located in the center of the housing, making them well suited for parallel circuits and 3-level configurations due to the low inductive DC link connection.
Unchanged standard package design and dimensions within the module family support mechanical compatibility with the previous module version. In addition, all modules are available with Infineon’s proven pre-applied thermal interface material (TIM).
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched the “TRSxxx65H series,” the company’s third and latest generation of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) for industrial equipment. Volume shipments of the first 12 products, all 650V, start today, with seven products housed in TO-220-2L packages and five in DFN8×8 packages.
The new products use a new metal in a third generation SiC SBD chip that optimizes the junction barrier Schottky (JBS) structure of the second generation products. They achieve industry-leading low forward voltage of 1.2V (Typ.), 17% lower than the 1.45V (Typ.) of the previous generation.
They also improve the trade-offs between forward voltage and total capacitive charge, and between forward voltage and reverse current, which reduces power dissipation and contributes to high efficiency of equipment.
Applications
- Switching power supplies
- EV charging stations
- Photovoltaic inverters
Features
- Industry-leading low forward voltage: VF＝1.2V (Typ.) (IF=IF(DC))
- Low reverse current:
TRS6E65H IR＝1.1μA (Typ.) (VR=650V) - Low total capacitive charge:
TRS6E65H QC＝17nC (Typ.) (VR=400V, f=1MHz)
Original – Toshiba
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STMicroelectronics has begun volume production of e-mode PowerGaN HEMT (high-electron-mobility transistor) devices that simplify the design of high-efficiency power-conversion systems. The STPOWER™ GaN transistors raise performance in applications such as wall adapters, chargers, lighting systems, industrial power supplies, renewable energy applications, and in automotive electrification.
The first two products in the family, the SGT120R65AL and SGT65R65AL, are industrial-qualified 650V normally-off G-HEMT™ in a PowerFLAT 5×6 HV surface-mount package. They have current ratings of 15A and 25A, respectively, with typical on-resistance (RDS(on)) of 75mΩ and 49mΩ at 25°C.
Also, 3nC and 5.4nC total gate charge and low parasitic capacitances ensure minimal turn-on/turn-off energy losses. A Kelvin source connection allows optimized gate driving. In addition to the reduced size and weight of the power supplies and adapters, the two new GaN transistors provide higher efficiency, lower operating temperature, and extended life time.
In the coming months, ST will introduce new PowerGaN variants, i.e. automotive-qualified devices, as well as additional power-package options including PowerFLAT 8×8 DSC and LFPAK 12×12 for high power applications.
ST’s G-HEMT devices facilitate the transition to GaN wide-bandgap technology in power conversion. GaN transistors with the same breakdown voltage and RDS(on) as silicon alternatives can achieve lower total gate charge and parasitic capacitances, with zero reverse-recovery charge.
These properties raise efficiency and enhance switching performance, allowing higher switching frequency that permits smaller passive components thereby increasing power density. Applications can therefore become smaller with higher performance. In the future, GaN is also expected to enable new power-conversion topologies that will further improve efficiency and decrease power losses.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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STMicroelectronics’ first galvanically isolated gate driver for gallium-nitride (GaN) transistors, the STGAP2GS, trims dimensions and bill-of-materials costs in applications that demand superior wide-bandgap efficiency with robust safety and electrical protection.
The single-channel driver can be connected to a high-voltage rail up to 1200V, or 1700V with the STGAP2GSN narrow-body version, and provides gate-driving voltage up to 15V. Capable of sinking and sourcing up to 3A gate current to the connected GaN transistor, the driver ensures tightly controlled switching transitions up to high operating frequencies.
With minimal propagation delay across the isolation barrier, at just 45ns, the STGAP2GS ensures fast dynamic response. In addition, dV/dt transient immunity of ±100V/ns over the full temperature range guards against unwanted transistor gate change. The STGAP2GS is available with separate sink and source pins for easy tuning of the gate-driving operation and performance.
Saving the need for discrete components to provide optical isolation, the STGAP2GS driver eases the adoption of efficient and robust GaN technology in various consumer and industrial applications. These include power supplies in computer servers, factory-automation equipment, motor drivers, solar and wind power systems, home appliances, domestic fans, and wireless chargers.
In addition to integrating galvanic isolation, the driver also features built-in system protection including thermal shutdown and under-voltage lockout (UVLO) optimized for GaN technology, to ensure reliability and ruggedness.
Two demonstration boards, the EVSTGAP2GS and EVSTGAP2GSN, combine the standard STGAP2GS and narrow STGAP2GSN with ST’s SGT120R65AL 75mΩ, 650V enhancement-Mode GaN transistors to help users evaluate the drivers’ capabilities.
The STGAP2GS in SO-8 widebody package, and the STGAP2GSN SO-8 narrow version, are available now, priced from $1.42 for orders of 1000 pieces.
Please visit www.st.com/stgap2gs for more information.
Original – STMicroelectronics
