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EPC Space announced the introduction of two new rad-hard GaN discretes with low on-resistance and extremely low gate charge for high power density solutions that are lower cost and more efficient than the nearest comparable radiation-hardened silicon MOSFET.
The EPC7001BSH is a Rad-Hard eGaN® 40 V, 50 A, 11 mΩ Surface Mount (FSMDB) and the EPC7002ASH is a Rad-Hard eGaN 40 V, 15 A, 28 mΩ Surface Mount (FSMDA). Both devices have a total dose radiation rating greater than 1,000K Rad(Si) and SEE immunity for LET of 83.7 MeV/mg/cm2 with VDS up to 100% of rated breakdown. These devices come packaged in hermetic packages in very small footprints.
EPC’s eGaN FETs and ICs offer a higher performing alternative to conventional rad hard silicon devices for high reliability and space applications. EPC’s Rad hard devices are significantly smaller, have 40 times better electrical performance, and lower overall cost than rad hard silicon devices. Moreover, EPC Space’s rad hard devices exhibit superior resistance to radiation, supporting higher total radiation levels and SEE LET levels compared to traditional silicon solutions.
Part Number Drain to Source Voltage (VDS) Drain to Source Resistance (RDS(on)) Single-Pulse Drain Current (IDM) Package Size (mm) Total Dose (TID) Heavy Ion Single Event Effects (SEE) EPC7001BSH 40 11 mΩ 120 5.7 x 3.9 1 Mrad SEE immunity up to LET of 83.7 MeV/mg/cm2 with VDS up to 100% of rated Breakdown EPC7002ASH 40 28 mΩ 40 3.4 x 3.4 1 Mrad SEE immunity up to LET of 83.7 MeV/mg/cm2 with VDS up to 100% of rated Breakdown With higher breakdown strength, lower gate charge, lower switching losses, better thermal conductivity, and lower on-resistance, power devices based on GaN significantly outperform silicon-based devices and enable higher switching frequencies resulting in higher power densities, higher efficiencies, and more compact and lighter weight circuitry for critical spaceborne missions.
Applications benefiting from the performance of these products include DC-DC power supplies for satellites and space mission equipment, motor drives for robotics, instrumentation and reaction wheels, deep space probes, and ion thrusters.
“These two new additions to our rad-hard product line offer designers high power and low on-resistance solutions enabling a generation of power conversion and motor drives in space operating at higher efficiencies, and greater power densities than what is achievable with traditional silicon-based rad-hard solutions,” said Bel Lazar, CEO of EPC Space.
Original – EPC Space
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Cambridge GaN Devices has launched its lowest ever on-resistance (RDS(on)) parts which have been engineered with a new die and new packages to deliver the benefits of GaN to high-power applications such as data centres, inverters, motor drives and other industrial power supplies. New ICeGaN™ P2 series ICs feature RDS(on) levels down to 25 mΩ supporting multi kW power levels with the highest efficiency.
ANDREA BRICCONI | CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, CGD
“The explosive growth of AI is leading to a significant increase in energy consumption, prompting data centre systems designers to prioritise the use of GaN for high-power, efficient power solutions. This new family of Power GaN ICs is a stepping stone for CGD to support our customers and partners on achieving and exceeding 100 kW/rack power density in Data Centres, required by most recent TDP (Thermal Design Power) trends for High-density computing. On the other hand, developers of motor control inverters are looking to GaN to reduce heat for smaller, longer-lasting system power. These are just two examples of markets that CGD is now aggressively targeting with these new high-power ICeGaN ICs. Simplified gate driver design and reduced system costs, combined with advanced high-performance packaging, make P2 series ICs an excellent choice for these applications.”
Incorporating an on-chip Miller Clamp to eliminate shoot-through losses during fast switching and implementing 0 V turn off to minimise reverse conduction losses, ICeGaN Series P2 ICs outperform discrete e-Mode GaN and other incumbent technologies.
The new packages offer improved thermal resistance performance as low as 0.28 K/W – again, equivalent or better than anything else currently available on the market – and the dual-gate pinout of the dual side DHDFN-9-1 (Dual Heat-spreader DFN) package facilitates optimal PCB layout and simple paralleling for scalability, enabling customers to address multi kW applications 6 with ease. The new packages have also been engineered to improve productivity, with wettable flanks to simplify optical inspection.
New P2 ICeGaN GaN power ICs are sampling now. The P2 series includes four devices with RDS(on) levels of 25 mΩ and 55 mΩ, rated at 27 A and 60 A, in 10 x 10 mm footprint DHDFN-9-1 and BHDFN-9-1 (Bottom Heat-spreader DFN) packages. In common with all CGD ICeGaN products, the P2 series can be driven using any standard MOSFET or IGBT driver.
Two demo boards feature the new P2 devices: a single leg of a 3-phase automotive inverter demo board, developed in partnership with the French public R&I institute IFP Energies , and a 3 kW totem-pole power factor correction demo board.
The new P2 series ICeGaN GaN power ICs and demo boards were unveiled publicly at the PCIM exhibition on CGD’s booth # 7 643, Nürnberg Messe, Nuremberg, Germany, 11-13th June 2024.
Original – Cambridge GaN Devices
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WeEn Semiconductors unveiled new families of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) in TSPAK packaging at this year’s PCIM Europe exhibition and conference. The company has also used the event to showcase for the first time a comprehensive range of integrated SiC power modules in Nuremberg, from June 11-13, 2024.
WeEn Semiconductor’s new TSPAK MOSFET and SBD devices address the demand for high-performance, compact and reliable power management in applications ranging from automotive charging and on-board charger applications to photovoltaic (PV) inverters and high-power-density power supplies (PSUs).
Offering a variety of configuration options for maximum design flexibility, the company’s new SiC modules are ideal for applications such as EV charging, energy storage systems, PV inverters, motor drives, industrial PSUs and test instrumentation.
Originally developed for automotive applications, TSPAK devices combine innovative top-side cooling capability with low thermal impedance to deliver enhanced thermal performance. By removing the PCB thermal resistance from the thermal dissipating path, the Junction-Ambient thermal resistance improves by 16-19%.
This supports high reliability by enabling a greater number of power cycles than conventional packaging as well as providing the increased power densities demanded by compact system designs. Low circuit inductance and low EMC noise help to improve performance and reduce filtering requirements. The WeEn Semiconductors family of TSPAK MOSFETs features 650V, 750V, and 1200V options with resistances ranging from 12mΩ to 150mΩ. TSPAK SBDs are available with current ratings of 10 to 40A in 650V, 750V, and 1200V variants.
Visitors to WeEn’s stand in Hall 9, booth 538, will have the first opportunity to explore the company’s extensive range of SiC power modules. With a wide range of topology options, including half-bridge, four-pack, six-pack, and MPPT booster configurations, the power modules support voltages ranging from 650V to 1200V. Depending on the option chosen and special designs, modules incorporate a variety of advanced features including synchronized chip current sharing, integrated temperature sensors, topside cooling structures and the latest clip-bond technologies.
Original – WeEn Semiconductors
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SemiQ Inc announced the addition of 1700V SiC Schottky discrete diodes and dual diode packs to its QSiC™ product line. The new devices meet the size and power demands of a wide range of demanding applications including switched-mode power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), induction heaters, welding equipment, DC/DC converters, solar inverters and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Featuring zero reverse recovery current and near-zero switching loss, SemiQ’s 1700V SiC Schottky diode technologies offer enhanced thermal management that reduces the need for cooling. As a result, engineers can implement highly efficient, high-performance designs that minimize system heat dissipation, allow the use of smaller heatsinks and lead to cost and space savings. All of the new products support fast switching across operating junction temperatures (Tj) of -55 °C to 175 °C.
The GP3D050B170X (bare die) and GP3D050B170B (TO-247-2L package) discrete diode is rated for respective maximum forward currents of 110A and 151A. Device design supports easy parallel configurations, enhancing flexibility and scalability for various power applications.
The GHXS050B170S-D3 and GHXS100B170S-D3 dual diode packs are rugged modules supplied in a SOT-227 package. Maximum respective forward currents are 110A and 214A and each combine outstanding performance at high-frequencies with low loss and low EMI operation. ensure energy efficiency and reliability by minimizing interference.
Key features include low stray inductance, high junction temperature operation, rugged and easy mounting, and an internally isolated package (AIN), which provides optimal insulation and thermal conductivity. Low junction-to-case thermal resistance enables efficient heat dissipation, ensuring stability under high-power conditions. The modules can be easily connected in parallel due to the positive temperature coefficient (Tc) of the forward voltage (Vf).
“Our new 1700V SiC diodes represent a leap forward in power efficiency and reliability,” said Dr. Timothy Han, President at SemiQ. “With their compact and flexible design, low-loss operation, and superior thermal management, our QSiC™ diodes will enable our customers to create innovative, high-performance solutions while reducing costs and improving overall system efficiency.”
All parts have been tested at voltages exceeding 1870V and have undergone avalanche testing up to 1250mJ. Visitors to SemiQ’s stand at Alfatec’s booth (Hall 7, 418) at PCIM Europe will have the first opportunity to explore the new 1700V SiC diodes.
Original – SemiQ
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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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Texas Instruments introduced the industry’s first 650V three-phase GaN IPM for 250W motor drive applications. The new GaN IPM addresses many of the design and performance compromises engineers typically face when designing major home appliances and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.
The DRV7308 GaN IPM enables more than 99% inverter efficiency, optimized acoustic performance, reduced solution size and lower system costs. It is on display at the Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management (PCIM) Conference, held June 11-13 in Nuremberg, Germany.
“Designers of high-voltage home appliances and HVAC systems are striving to meet higher energy-efficiency standards to support environmental sustainability goals around the world,” said Nicole Navinsky, Motor Drives business unit manager at TI. “They are also addressing consumer demand for systems that are reliable, quiet and compact. With TI’s new GaN IPM, engineers can design motor driver systems that deliver all of these expectations and operates at peak efficiency.”
Improve system efficiency and reliability with TI GaN
Worldwide efficiency standards for appliances and HVAC systems such as SEER, MEPS, Energy Star and Top Runner are becoming increasingly stringent. The DRV7308 helps engineers meet these standards, leveraging GaN technology to deliver more than 99% efficiency and improve thermal performance, with 50% reduced power losses compared to existing solutions.
In addition, the DRV7308 achieves industry-low dead time and low propagation delay, both less than 200ns, enabling higher pulse-width modulation (PWM) switching frequencies that reduce audible noise and system vibration. These advantages plus the higher power efficiency and integrated features of the DRV7308 also reduce motor heating, which can improve reliability and extend the lifetime of the system.
To learn more about the benefits of GaN technology, read the white paper, “How three-phase integrated GaN technology maximizes motor-drive performance.”
Advanced integration and high power density reduce solution size and costs
Supporting the trend of more compact home appliances, the DRV7308 helps engineers develop smaller motor drive systems. Enabled by GaN technology, the new IPM delivers high power density in a 12mm-by-12mm package, making it the industry’s smallest IPM for 150W to 250W motor-drive applications.
Because of its high efficiency, the DRV7308 eliminates the need for an external heatsink, resulting in motor drive inverter printed circuit board (PCB) size reduction of up to 55% compared to competing IPM solutions. The integration of a current sense amplifier, protection features and inverter stage further reduces solution size and cost.
To learn about designing more efficient, compact motor systems, see the GaN IPM page on TI.com.
This high-efficiency, high-voltage GaN IPM is the latest example of TI innovations to help solve engineering challenges and transform motor designs.
TI’s reliable high-voltage technology at PCIM 2024
Visitors to PCIM can see new products and solutions from TI that are enabling the transition to a more sustainable future with reliable high-voltage technology in Hall 7, Booth 652. In addition to the DRV7308 GaN IPM, TI highlights at PCIM include:
- Next-generation electric vehicle (EV) propulsion system: TI is demonstrating a new 800V, 750kW SiC-based scalable traction inverter system for EV six-phase motors, in collaboration with EMPEL Systems. The demonstration features high power density and efficiency using TI’s high-performance isolated gate drivers, isolated DC/DC power modules and Arm® Cortex®-R MCUs.
- TI’s manager of high-voltage power systems applications, Sheng-Yang Yu, will speak on June 11 in the Markt & Technik panel discussion: “Will SiC ultimately Hold its Own against GaN?”
- TI’s manager of renewable energy systems, Harald Parzhuber, will speak on June 12 in Bodo’s Power Systems panel discussion: “GaN Wide Bandgap Design, the Future of Power.”
Original – Texas Instruments
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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
