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Applied EV, a leader in vehicle control system technologies for Software Defined Machines™, announced they have selected CISSOID’s new CXT-ICM3SA series of Silicon Carbide Inverter Control Modules (ICMs) to drive their latest generation of autonomous vehicle E-motors.
Dedicated to the E-mobility market, CISSOID’s software-powered SiC ICMs are augmented with onboard programmable hardware, accelerating the response time to critical events, off-loading the processor cores and enhancing functional safety.
The ICM is integrated into Applied EV’s Digital Backbone™, a centralised control system combining state-of-the-art software and hardware, setting a new benchmark for safety rated vehicles.
Applied EV’s CEO, Julian Broadbent, said “Both Applied EV and CISSOID recognise functional safety is critical in the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles. The partnership integrates CISSOID’s ICMs into our Digital Backbone, allowing for a faster development cycle, giving our customer the safest vehicle in the shortest time possible.”
CISSOID’s CEO, Dave Hutton, said: “We are excited to embark on this collaborative journey with Applied EV to drive innovation in e-mobility. By combining our expertise in electric motor design with Applied EV’s proficiency in software and vehicle integration, the aim is to deliver a game-changing electric motor drive platform for the future of mobility together.”
The collaboration underscores the shared commitment to driving positive change in the automotive industry and contributing to a more sustainable future for transportation globally.
Original – CISSOID
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Nexperia announced that its class-leading 650 V, 10 A silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diode is now automotive qualified (PSC1065H-Q) and available in real-two-pin (R2P) DPAK (TO-252-2) packaging, making it suitable for various applications in electric vehicles and other automobiles.
Additionally, in a further extension to its portfolio of SiC diodes, Nexperia is now also offering industrial-grade devices with current ratings of 6 A, 16 A, and 20 A in TO-220-2, TO-247-2, and D2PAK-2 packaging to facilitate greater design flexibility. These diodes address the challenges of demanding high voltage and high current applications including switched-mode power supplies, AC-DC and DC-DC converters, battery-charging infrastructure, motor drives, uninterruptible power supplies as well as photovoltaic inverters for sustainable energy production.
The merged PiN Schottky (MPS) structure of these devices provides additional advantages over similar competing SiC diodes, including outstanding robustness against surge currents. This eliminates the need for additional protection circuitry, thereby significantly reducing system complexity and enabling hardware designers to achieve higher efficiency with smaller form factors in rugged high-power applications. Nexperia’s consistent quality across various semiconductor technologies provides designers with confidence in the reliability of these diodes.
In addition, Nexperia’s ‘thin SiC’ technology delivers a thinner substrate (one-third of its original thickness) which dramatically reduces the thermal resistance from the junction to the back-side metal. This results in lower operating temperature, higher reliability and device lifetime, higher surge current capability, and lower forward voltage drop.
“We’ve seen an excellent market response to the initial release of our SiC diodes. They have proven themselves in design-ins with one notable example in power supplies for industrial applications, where customers have achieved especially good results. The superior reverse recovery of these diodes translates to high efficiency in real-world use”, says Katrin Feurle, Senior Director and Head of Product Group SiC Diodes & FETs at Nexperia. “We are particularly excited that this is our first automotive-qualified product, and it is already recognized by major automotive players for its performance and reliability.”
Original – Nexperia
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Qorvo® announced the industry’s first 4 milliohm silicon carbide (SiC) junction field effect transistor (JFET) in a TOLL package. It was designed for circuit protection applications including solid-state circuit breakers, where low resistance, superior thermal performance, small size and reliability are paramount.
With RDS(on) of just 4 milliohm, the UJ4N075004L8S offers the industry’s lowest on-resistance among the 650V to 750V class of power devices in standard discrete packages. This low RDS(on) drives significant reductions in heat generation and, when coupled with a compact TOLL package, enables a solution size that is 40% smaller than competing devices in TO-263 packages.
This small solution size supports the space-limited dimensions of today’s electromechanical circuit breakers and operates without the need for elaborate cooling systems, accelerating the transition from electromechanical circuit breakers to semiconductor-based solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs).
“With the introduction of the UJ4N075004L8S, Qorvo continues to lead the way in SiC power innovation, catalyzing the emergence of applications such as circuit protection with ultra-low RDS(on) FET offerings in very small footprints,” said Ramanan Natarajan, director of product line marketing for Qorvo’s SiC Power Products business. “The SSCB market is growing rapidly, and Qorvo’s newest product marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the technology.”
Qorvo’s JFETs are highly robust devices well suited to meet the challenges of circuit protection, providing the ability to turn off at very high inrush currents during circuit faults. Qorvo’s newest JFET can also withstand high instantaneous junction temperatures without experiencing degradation or parametric drift. The normally-on nature of the JFET lends itself to seamless integration into systems where the switch is in the on-state by default and in turn-off state under fault conditions.
The UJ4N075004L8S is now available for sampling and will enter full production in Q4 2024, accompanied by additional JFET options, including 750V with 5 milliohm and 1200V with 8 milliohm ratings, all in TO-247 packaging. For more details about this transformative power technology and detailed product specifications, please visit UJ4N075004L8S.
Original – Qorvo
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Semikron Danfoss and SMA announced that the Sunny Boy Smart Energy incorporates the SEMITOP E power modules based on silicon carbide. The SEMITOP E features a low-inductance design with superior thermal performance, all in an industry standard housing. The SEMITOP E product offers a variety of circuit topologies based on the latest 650V-1200V silicon carbide technology from multiple sources.
“We strongly believe that the SEMITOP E is the power semiconductor package of choice for applying silicon carbide in advanced solar inverters,” says Roberto Agostini, Product Manager Semikron Danfoss.
“The SEMITOP E has been essential in increasing throughput and efficiency in our assembly,” says SMA Product Manager Petra Nawratil. “The press-fit design and simple mounting approach enabled a higher automation level in the assembly line for the Sunny Boy Smart Energy and following products.”
Residential solar inverters are tasked with generating solar power with the highest efficiency, enabled through silicon carbide technology.
The Sunny Boy Smart Energy is part of the new SMA Home Storage Solution, which enables fast and effective solar generation and storage. It is scalable to meet changing needs and adaptable to additional use cases such as an EV charger, a heat pump, dynamic tariffs, or peak load shaving. The modular SMA Home Storage battery can be expanded anytime to store more solar power.
Original – Semikron Danfoss
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has begun shipping low-current 3.3kV/400A and 3.3kV/200A versions of a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) embedded silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) module for large industrial equipment, including rolling stock and electric power systems, from today, June 10.
Together with the existing 3.3kV/800A version, the newly named UnifullTM series comprises three modules to meet the growing demand for inverters capable of increasing power output and power conversion efficiency in large industrial equipment. The new modules will be exhibited at major trade shows, including Power Conversion Intelligent Motion (PCIM) Europe 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany from June 11 to 13.
Mitsubishi Electric’s SBD-embedded SiC-MOSFET modules, including the 3.3kV/800A version released on March 29, feature an optimized package structure to reduce switching loss and improve SiC performance. Compared to existing power modules, UnifullTM modules, significantly reduce switching loss and contribute to higher power output and efficiency in large industrial equipment, making them suitable for auxiliary power supplies in railcars and drive systems with relatively small capacities.
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. announced that at PCIM Europe 2024 the company will be showcasing its broad portfolio of power management solutions that address several increasingly important trends in power electronics, including e-mobility, high efficiency power conversion, energy storage, and grid management. In Hall 9, Booth 208, Vishay experts will be available to discuss the company’s extensive offering of passive and semiconductor solutions for these next-generation applications.
Taking center stage for Vishay at PCIM will be the company’s newly released 1200 V MaxSiC™ series silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, which deliver on-resistances of 55 mW, 95 mW, and 280 mΩ in standard packages for industrial applications, with custom products also available.
In addition, Vishay will provide a roadmap for 650 V to 1700 V SiC MOSFETs with on-resistances ranging from 10 mΩ to 1 Ω. Vishay’s SiC platform is based on proprietary MOSFET technology — enabled through the company’s acquisition of MaxPower Semiconductor, Inc. — which will address market demands in traction inverter, photovoltaic energy conversion and storage, on-board charger, and charging station applications. At the booth, Vishay’s experts will also be discussing upcoming planned releases of the MaxSiC platform, including AEC-Q101 Automotive Grade products.
At PCIM, Vishay will be offering a variety of application-focused demonstrations, including:
- A high voltage intelligent battery shunt for 400 V and 800 V batteries
- A 40 kW resettable electronic fuse (eFuse) for 400 V and 800 V battery electric vehicles (BEV)
- A unidirectional, 11 kW three-phase AC on-board charger (OBC) with a BOM consisting of 90 % Vishay parts
- A bidirectional 10 kW eFuse for 48 V applicationsA collaborative robot workstation featuring Vishay power resistors, ESTA power electronic capacitors (PEC), Automotive Grade diodes, SiC MOSFETs, and an SiC-based auxiliary power converter.
Vishay passive components on display at PCIM will include IHPT series solenoid-based haptic actuators featuring Immersion Corporation licenses, a 5.5 kW transformer / inductor for LLC applications, and IHLE® series low profile, high current inductors with integrated e-field shields; wirewound resistors and charging resistors featuring hybrid wirewound technology; thick film power resistors; robust metallized polypropylene film capacitors, including AC and pulse capacitors and DC-Link capacitors with high temperature operation up to +125 °C and the ability to withstand temperature humidity bias (THB) testing of 85 °C / 85 % for 1000 h; X1, X2, and Y2 EMI suppression film capacitors certified to safety and humidity robustness grade IIIB; and DC and AC power electronic capacitors (PEC) with high impulse current ratings, low inductance, and high reliability.
Highlighted Vishay semiconductor solutions will consist of surface-mount diodes in the eSMP® and FlatPAK 5×6 packages; leadless surface-mount diodes in the DFN, CLP, and LLP series packages; and 650 V and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes up to 20 A in eSMP® series and 40 A in power packages for AC/DC power factor correction (PFC) and ultra high frequency output rectification. In addition, Vishay will be showcasing microBUCK® and microBRICK® buck regulators, including the 60 V input SiC967 synchronous buck regulator with integrated power MOSFETs and inductors; high voltage MOSFETs in the PowerPAK 10×12 package; automotive power modules in the EMIPAK 1B, MaacPAK, FlatPAK, and HC0 packages; and industrial power modules in Gen III TO-244, IAP, SOT-227, and MTC packages.
Prior to the exhibition, on June 9, Vishay’s Sanjay Havanur — senior manager of system applications — will be presenting the seminar “Silicon Is Still Here: A Refresher on the Narrow Bandgap Power MOSFETs and Their Datasheets” at 2 p.m. in the Arvena Park Hotel. During the show, Claudio Damilano — director of product marketing and market development, power modules — will present “Evolution in Vishay Power Modules for E-Mobility: Solutions for High Voltage and Low Voltage Applications” on June 11, at 3:50 p.m. in Hall 6, Booth 220.
Original – Vishay Intertechnology
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The market for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) continues to grow as the push towards decarbonization requires sustainable solutions to reduce emissions. A critical application for EVs is the on-board charger, which converts AC power into DC power to recharge the vehicle’s high-voltage battery.
Microchip Technology announced an On-Board Charger (OBC) solution that uses a selection of its automotive-qualified digital, analog, connectivity and power devices, including the dsPIC33C Digital Signal Controller (DSC), the MCP14C1 isolated SiC gate driver and mSiC™ MOSFETs in an industry-standard D2PAK-7L XL package.
This solution is designed to increase an OBC system’s efficiency and reliability by leveraging the dsPIC33 DSC’s advanced control functions, the MCP14C1 gate driver’s high-voltage reinforced isolation with robust noise immunity and the mSiC MOSFETs’ reduced switching losses and improved thermal management capabilities. To further simplify the supply chain for customers, Microchip provides the key technologies that support the other functions of an OBC, including communication interfaces, security, sensors, memory and timing.
To accelerate system development and testing, Microchip offers a flexible programmable solution with ready-to-use software modules for Power Factor Correction (PFC), DC-DC conversion, communication and diagnostic algorithms. The software modules in the dsPIC33 DSC are designed to optimize performance, efficiency and reliability, while offering flexibility for customization and adaptation to specific OEM requirements.
“Microchip established an E-Mobility megatrend team with dedicated resources to support this growing market, so in addition to providing the control, gate drive and power stage for an OBC, we can also provide customers with connectivity, timing, sensors, memory and security solutions,” said Joe Thomsen, corporate vice president of Microchip’s digital signal controller business unit. “As a leading supplier to OEMs and Tier-1s, Microchip offers comprehensive solutions to streamline the development process, including automotive-qualified products, reference designs, software and global technical support.”
Here is an overview of the key components in this OBC solution:
- The dsPIC33C DSC is AEC-Q100 qualified and features a high-performance DSP core, high-resolution Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) modules and high-speed Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), making it optimal for power conversion applications. It is functional safety ready and supports the AUTOSAR® ecosystem.
- The MCP14C1 isolated SiC gate driver is AEC-Q100 qualified and is offered in SOIC-8 wide-body package supporting reinforced isolation and SOIC-8 narrow-body supporting basic isolation. Compatible with the dsPIC33 DSC, the MCP14C1 is optimized to drive mSiC MOSFETs via Undervoltage Lockout (UVLO) for VGS = 18V gate drive split output terminals, which simplifies implementation and eliminates the need for an external diode. Galvanic isolation is achieved by leveraging capacitive isolation technology, which results in robust noise immunity and high Common-Mode Transient Immunity (CMTI).
- The mSiC MOSFET in an AEC-Q101-qualified D2PAK-7L XL surface mount package includes five parallel source sense leads to reduce switching losses, increase current capability and decrease inductance. This device supports 400V and 800V battery voltages.
Microchip has published a white paper that provides more information about how this OBC solution can optimize a design’s performance and speed up its time to market.
For more information about Microchip’s OBC solutions for EVs, visit Microchip’s website.
Original – Microchip Technology
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Wolfspeed is expanding its portfolio of industry-leading SiC MOSFET & Schottky diode discrete products with the addition of the new Top Side Cooled (TSC) package: the U2. With options ranging from 650 V – 1200 V, Wolfspeed’s TSC products significantly increase system level power density and efficiency, while improving thermal management and board layout flexibility.
Applications:
- Electric Vehicle (EV) On-Board Chargers and Fast Charging Infrastructure
- EV & Industrial HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) Motor Drives
- High Voltage DC/DC Converters
- Solar and Energy Storage
- Industrial Motor Drives
- Industrial Power Supplies
Features:
- Low profile, surface mount footprint
- Top side cooling with low Rth
- AEC-Q101 Automotive Qualified Options
- SiC MOSFETs Available from 750 V – 1200 V
- SiC Schottky Diodes Available from 650 V – 1200 V
Benefits:
- Highest Creepage Distance Available for SiC Top Side Cooled Packages
- Higher System Power Density with Optimized PCB Layouts
- High Volume Manufacturing Capability with Surface Mount Footprint
What’s New? Advantages of New Top Side Cooled Packages
Most standard surface mount discrete power semiconductors remove heat through the bottom of the device by making direct contact with the power circuit board (PCB), which utilizes a heat sink or cooling plate attached underneath. This method is common across many different power electronics applications, particularly when size and weight requirements do not limit PCB mounting and heat sinks.
Top side cooled (TSC) devices, on the other hand, dissipate heat through the top side of the package. Inside TSC packages, the die sits upside down in the upper portion of the package to allow heat to flow directly to the top surface. Generally, TSC devices are best suited for high-performance applications such as automotive and e-mobility systems where high-power densities, advanced thermal management solutions, and small footprints are essential. Within these applications, TSC devices help address cooling requirements by enabling maximum power dissipation and optimizing thermal performance.
TSC designs also allow for dual-side usage of the PCB since the bottom board surface is no longer needed for the heatsink interface. Removing the heatsink from the thermal path not only creates an improved overall system thermal impedance; it also allows for automated assembly, which can increase manufacturing throughput for a more efficient and cost-effective solution.
Evaluating U2 TSC Devices Made Easy with SpeedVal™ Kit
Wolfspeed’s SpeedVal Kit Modular Evaluation Platform allows engineers to reduce the transition from silicon to silicon carbide (SiC) with a flexible set of building blocks for in-circuit evaluation of system performance at real operating points. The recently released 3-phase motherboard enables high-power testing with static loads as well as a foundation for advanced motor control firmware development.
Evaluation boards for a variety of Rdson ratings for Wolfspeed’s TSC MOSFET devices are coming soon.
SpeedVal™ Kit Modular Evaluation Platform Three-Phase Motherboard Putting U2 TSC Devices to Work: 13 kW Automotive HVAC Motor Drive Reference Design
Wolfspeed’s upcoming 13 kW motor drive reference design, featuring the TSC U2 package, demonstrates the benefits of U2 devices for 10 kW+ EV HVAC systems, which support thermal management of the cabin, battery, and electronics. Optimizing the efficiency and operating temperature range of the HVAC system with the implementation of SiC enables systems designers to bring fast charging to the driver in under 15 minutes, while also extending the driving range per charge for the lifetime of the car. Utilizing Wolfspeed’s new CRD-13DA12N-U2 13 kW HVAC reference design, SiC enables:
Reference Design Specifications:
- Input Voltage: 550 – 850 V
- Max Output Current: 25 A
- Max Output Power: 13 kW
- Switching Frequency: 10 – 32 kHz
- Peak Efficiency: > 98%
Original – Wolfspeed
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Navitas Semiconductor announced their new portfolio of Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) 650 V and 1,200 V SiC MOSFETs optimized for fastest switching speed, highest efficiency, and increased power density for applications such as AI data center power supplies, on-board chargers (OBCs), fast EV roadside super-chargers, and solar / energy-storage systems (ESS). The broad portfolio range covers industry-standard packages from D2PAK-7 to TO-247-4, designed for demanding, high-power, high-reliability applications.
The G3F family is optimized for high-speed switching performance, resulting in 40% improvement to hard-switching figures-of-merits (FOMs) compared to competition in CCM TPPFC systems. This will enable increasing the wattage of next-generation AI power supply units (PSUs) up to 10 kW, and power per rack increase from 30 kW to 100-120 kW.
The G3F GeneSiC MOSFETs are developed using a proprietary ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology. and offer better-than-trench MOSFET performance, while also providing superior robustness, manufacturability and cost than competition. G3F MOSFETs deliver high-efficiency with high-speed performance, enabling up to 25°C lower case temperature, and up to 3x longer life than SiC products from other vendors.
The ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology enables an extremely low RDS(ON) increase versus temperature, which results in the lowest power losses across the complete operating range and offers up to 20% lower RDS(ON) under real-life operation at high temperatures compared to competition.
Additionally, all GeneSiC MOSFETs have the highest-published 100%-tested avalanche capability, 30% longer short-circuit withstand time, and tight threshold voltage distributions for easy paralleling, GeneSiC MOSFETs are ideal for high-power, fast-time-to-market applications.
Navitas’ latest 4.5 kW high-power density AI Server PSU reference design in CRPS185 form-factor, showcases the 650 V-rated, 40mOhms G3F FETs for an Interleaved CCM TP PFC topology. Alongside the GaNSafe™ Power ICs in the LLC stage, a power density of 138 W/inch3 and peak efficiency above 97% is realized, which comfortably achieves ‘Titanium Plus’ efficiency standards, now mandatory in Europe.
For the EV market, 1,200 V/34 mOhm (G3F34MT12K) G3F FETs enable Navitas’ new 22 kW, 800V Bi-Directional OBC and 3KW DC-DC converter to achieve a superior power density of 3,5 kW/L and a peak efficiency of 95.5%.
“G3F sets a new standard for efficient, cool-running SiC performance, coupled with high reliability and robustness for high-power, high-stress systems,” noted Dr. Sid Sundaresan, Senior Vice President of SiC Technology and Operations. “We’re pushing the boundaries of SiC, with up to 600 kHz switching speeds, and hard-switching figures-of-merit up to 40% better than competition.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited announced the expansion of their package portfolio options available for their second generation 650V to 1200V αSiC MOSFETs. Applicable to many critical applications such as xEV charging, solar inverters, and industrial power supplies, the new package selections give designers the added flexibility of multiple system optimization options to further maximize system efficiency while streamlining their manufacturing process.
AOS will showcase its expanded surface mount and module package options at PCIM Europe 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, June 11-13.
The first new surface mount package is available for the AOBB040V120X2Q, AOS’ new 1200V/40mOhm αSiC MOSFET in a standard D2PAK-7L surface mount package. This AEC-Q101 qualified product is designed to replace traditional through-hole packages. It is ideal for applications such as on-board chargers (OBCs) where efficient cooling can be provided by vias and backside PCB heatsinks, simplifying the assembly flow and maximizing the power density. In addition, the low inductance package combined with the fast driver sourcesense connection positions these AOS αSiC MOSFETs as one of the most efficient power-switching solutions in the market.
For additional design flexibility, AOS is releasing its GTPAK™ surface mount package with topside cooling features. In designs where a topside-mounted heatsink is viable, the direct heat path from the GTPAK minimizes the thermal resistance. It enables higher power dissipation for more effective PCB routing. The first AOS product in GTPAK is the AOGT020V120X2. This 1200V/20mOhm αSiC MOSFET is an ideal solution to meet the requirements of high-efficiency solar inverter and industrial power supply applications.
Finally, AOS announced the AOH010V120AM2 as the first product in its new AlphaModule™ high power baseplate-less module family. This 1200V/10mOhm half-bridge αSiC module features press-fit pins and an integrated thermistor. It is in a standard footprint module that enables the replacement of multiple discrete devices into a single compact form factor while simplifying both the mechanical and electrical design by providing a clear separation of electrical and cooling paths. Single modules are suitable for residential solar inverters, or several modules in parallel will allow scaling to power levels necessary to drive the needs of fast DC charging stations.
“With the continued growth in EVs, energy infrastructure, and renewable energy, we continue to see increased interest in our αSiC MOSFETs. The expansion of our product portfolio to include these new advanced package options gives our customers the design flexibility they need to take advantage of our superior αSiC performance and continue the trend of pushing power systems to higher density and efficiency,” said David Sheridan, Vice President of SiC products at AOS.
Original – Alpha and Omega Semiconductor
