improved hipak modules for power electronic applications · alone in the area of industrial liion...

POWER MODULESImproved HiPak Modules forPower Electronic Applications

ISSUE 5 – August 2013 www.power-mag.com

Also inside this issueOpinion | Market News | Industry NewsPower Semiconductors | SemiconductorsSolar Power | Products | Website Locator

01_PEE_0513_p01 Cover 24/07/2013 14:37

3-LEVEL POWER MODULES Up to 1500 V DC link

20 A up to 600 A

Less f i l ter ing v ia better harmonics

f ic iency for solar and UPSHigher ef

200 V, 650 V and 1600 V

NPC and TNPC topologies

Less f i l ter ing v ia better harmonics

f ic iency for solar and UPS

200 V

NPC and TNPC topologies

02_PEE_0513_Layout 24/07/2013 12:39 Page 1

CONTENTS

www.power-mag.com Issue 5 2013 Power Electronics Europe

3

Editor Achim ScharfTel: +49 (0)892865 9794Fax: +49 (0)892800 132Email: [email protected]

Production Editor Chris DavisTel: +44 (0)1732 370340

Financial Clare JacksonTel: +44 (0)1732 370340Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034

Reader/Circulation Enquiries Capsule Publishing Services LtdTel: 0333 577 0801 Fax: 0845 604 2327Email: [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICESMainland Europe: Victoria Hufmann, Norbert HufmannTel: +49 911 9397 643 Fax: +49 911 9397 6459Email: [email protected]

Armin Wezelphone: +49 (0)30 52689192mobile: +49 (0)172 767 8499Email: [email protected]

Eastern US Karen C Smith-Kerncemail: [email protected] US and CanadaAlan A KerncTel: +1 717 397 7100Fax: +1 717 397 7800email: [email protected]

Italy Ferruccio SilveraTel: +39 022 846 716 Email: [email protected]

Japan:Yoshinori Ikeda, Pacific Business IncTel: 81-(0)3-3661-6138Fax: 81-(0)3-3661-6139Email: [email protected]

TaiwanPrisco Ind. Service Corp.Tel: 886 2 2322 5266 Fax: 886 2 2322 2205

Publisher & UK Sales Ian AtkinsonTel: +44 (0)1732 370340Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034Email: [email protected]

Circulation and subscription: Power ElectronicsEurope is available for the following subscriptioncharges. Power Electronics Europe: annual chargeUK/NI £60, overseas $130, EUR 120; single copiesUK/NI £10, overseas US$32, EUR 25. Contact: DFA Media, 192 The High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE Great Britain. Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340. Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034. Refunds on cancelledsubscriptions will only be provided at the Publisher’sdiscretion, unless specifically guaranteed within theterms of subscription offer.

Editorial information should be sent to The Editor,Power Electronics Europe, PO Box 340131, 80098Munich, Germany.

The contents of Power Electronics Europe aresubject to reproduction in information storage andretrieval systems. All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical includingphotocopying, recording or any information storageor retrieval system without the express prior writtenconsent of the publisher.

Printed by: Garnett Dickinson.

ISSN 1748-3530

PAGE 13

Industry NewsMOSFET Bridge Controller MinimizesRectifier Voltage Loss

Highly Integrated Driver ICs for Low-Power LED Bulbs

PAGE 18

GaN Switching for Efficient ConvertersGaN transistor switching speeds of 50 V per nanosecond and two orders of

magnitude improvement in specific on-resistance over Silicon devices improve

volumetric and conversion efficiency in any power systems and has particular

relevance to solar boost converters. GaN Systems novel switch topology

maximizes these advantages whilst reducing cost of manufacture. By designing

CMOS integrated driver solutions upon which the GaN die is mounted directly in a

stacked chip assembly – combining the switch, its driver, sensors and customized

interface circuitry – helps to ease design-in these new devices.

Girvan Patterson, CEO GaN Systems Inc., Ottawa, Canada

PAGE 22

High Voltage Gallium NitrideDevices for InvertersGallium Nitride (GaN) devices now demonstrate higher efficiency in inverter

circuits for both solar and motor drive systems and in power supply building

blocks such as the DC/DC LLC and the PFC. The article investigates how GaN is

making such rapid performance progress and uses test results to illustrate what is

now possible using GaN compared to recent SiC transistor performance. It then

predicts future improvements that will continue to make GaN a more attractive

alternative to either Si or SiC for high efficiency systems. Umesh Mishra and

Yifeng Wu, Transphorm Inc., Goleta, USA

PAGE 27

Parallel Switch IncreasesEfficiency of Power Module for PV InvertersAs the solar market matures, electronic power designers are faced with new

challenges in inverter designs. The older less efficient two level designs will

simply not meet next generation requirements, nor compete successfully in the

marketplace. Increasing the efficiency and using a higher switching frequency is

becoming the norm. To add to the complexity, customers are also requesting a

higher DC input voltage to the inverter. Mark Steinmetz, Field Applications

Engineer, Vincotech, Unterhaching, Germany

PAGE 30

Products

PAGE 33

Website Product Locator

Improved HiPakModules for PowerElectronicApplicationsToday, IGBT based power electronic modules are thedevices of choice for a vast range of applications fromlight-rail vehicles, heavy duty multi megawattslocomotives, to hundred megawatts HVDCinstallations. High reliability is the key element thatneeds to be addressed in all applications. ABBchallenges the limits of both, the electrical andreliability specifications, by means of new, well-knownand established technologies, and has developed animproved package. This package satisfies theincreased reliability expectations without changing theelectrical and thermal behavior, thus allowing thecostumer for a one-to-one replacement without anyneed for requalification. This concept of improving wellestablished processes and design elements and rollout on an existing product platformproves thatsubstantial quality and reliability gain can be achievedwithout the need for the customer to redo a costly andtime consuming design-in. Full story on page 24.

Cover supplied by ABB Semiconductors Switzerland

COVER STORY

PAGE 7

Market NewsPEE looks at the latest Market News and company

developments

p03 Contents_p03 Contents 24/07/2013 15:09

04_PEE_0513_Layout 24/07/2013 12:35 Page 1

OPINION 5


A suitablequote as alead in to

the editorsopinion

Market researchers expects a return to steady growth for the IGBTmarket; specifically, from $3.6 billion in 2013 to $6 billion by 2018.Key applications such as motor drives, renewable energies (PV andwind) will fuel this growth. The need for efficient energy solutions isstronger than ever, and IGBT devices are still undergoingdevelopments and improvements: thinner wafers, more efficientproduction, integration of functionalities, etc. Since its introduction nearly two decades ago, high power IGBTs

developed to be the device of choice for power electronicsapplications covering a wide range of voltage and current like light-rail vehicles and industrial drives in the hundred kilowatts to lowermegawatt range, multi megawatt electric locomotives and industrialdrives and even HVDC converters of up to several hundredmegawatts. The need for energy efficient motor drive solutions andtransportation together with the urge to explore alternative energysources such as wind-power, further drive the demand of power-electronic converters. Since the up-time of such applications iscrucial for the whole economics, reliability requirements are key. As outlined in our feature on IGBTs in PV the trench-field-stop

technology is the most common concept for modern IGBTs withblocking voltages in the range of 600 V to 1200 V. This technologyallows implementing devices with low on-state voltages and softswitching on the one hand and low switching losses and aMOSFET-like switching performance for high-frequency applicationson the other hand. Within this technology, the device performanceis mainly controlled by design parameters like cell geometry, chipthickness, and doping profile. For instance, by adjusting theseparameters, devices with a high carrier density in the drift regioncan be implemented. Such devices provide a low saturation voltageand achieve low static losses. During the turn-off, a high carrierdensity leads to a slower clear out of the device and the dynamiclosses are increased. Therefore, the performance of an IGBT can beeither optimized for high-frequency applications like solar invertersor boosters, which need devices with low dynamic losses, or forlow-frequency applications, which benefit from low static losses. An other approach is to use a MOSFET instead of a FWD. By

replacing the reverse recovery diode with a smaller standardMOSFET than rated IGBT, the overall switching losses (both on andoff) are further reduced. Since the MOSFET switches faster than theIGBT, it must be turned on before the IGBT and then delayed inturning it off after the IGBT. Additionally, IGBT drivers’ area hasnever been so active, a bunch of start-up companies proposingsolutions offering more design flexibility and/or higher performance.IGBT is no longer the only high-end device solution. SiC devices

are ready, and GaN devices are at sample stage. Adoptionroadmaps are clearer now. The first full SiC PV inverters based onMOSFETs or JFETs have entered the market; it is more as adisplacement. IGBT is slowly moving to medium and-low endsolutions, allowing SiC to handle higher voltages, and GaN tocapitalize on lower voltages – see our features in this issue.Another hot topic is the local storage of electricity generated from

renewable energies such as PV. The global photovoltaic capacitycould increase by between 27 and 32 GW, 23 countries willincrease their PV capacity by more than 100 MW this year. Inaddition to China and India, Japan, South America and manycountries in the Middle East in particular will soon be expandingtheir PV capacities. The broad diversification of markets will lead togreater stability in the industry in the long term as development willcease relying on the subsidy policies of individual nations. Feed-intariffs were the greatest incentive for investing in solar power.However, increasing electricity prices, tumbling feed-in tariffs andfalling module prices are resulting in the on-site consumption ofself-generated solar power becoming increasingly attractive. Thusthe on-site consumption of solar power represents an attractiveeconomic and reliable alternative to power generated usingconventional methods. Thus higher demand for industrial batteriesis anticipated. In 2012 a sum of almost $750 million was investedalone in the area of industrial LiIon batteries in Europe. The marketvolume will probably reach $1.7 billion by 2017. High figures arealso being seen on the market for hybrid and electric vehiclebatteries in Europe. Though several initiatives on LiIon technologyhave been implemented in Europe, the main players are stilllocated in Japan and South Korea. Panasonic (recently acquiredSanyo), Samsung, LG Electronics and to a lesser extend Sonydominate the market by around 90 %. Regarding pricing per kWh adecline of 50 % can be expected, from $500 in 2010 down to$250 / kWh in the year 2020. And this will lead to an exceptionallyincreasing demand in battery and power management systems aswell as charging solutions – again a huge potential for powerelectronic components.All these trends and figures can be explored in this issue – enjoy

reading.Achim Scharf

PEE Editor

Bread and Butter in Power

05_PEE_0513_p05 Opinion 24/07/2013 12:22

ABB’s integrated gate-commutated thyristors (IGCTs) powered converters support turbine manufacturers to achieve grid code compliance. IGCT is the semiconductor of choice for demanding high power applications such as medium voltage drives, marine drives, co-generation, wind power converters, interties and STATCOMs. ABB’s portfolio offers a complete range of IGCTs and diodes for all your high power switching needs. For more information please visit our website: www.abb.com/semiconductors

ABB Switzerland Ltd. / ABB s.r.o.www.abb.com/[email protected]

IGCTs making grid code issues a thing of the past?

Naturally.

06_PEE_0513_Layout 24/07/2013 12:37 Page 1

MARKET NEWS 7


More information atwww.omicron-lab.com/stability

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New BusinessModels for theBattery IndustryEnergy storage is gaining more interest byvarious industries as recent events haveshown. E-mobility including e-bikes, solarenergy storage and last but not least all ofthe mobile devices require efficient electricalenergy storage – mainly on LiIon technologyalong with associated battery managementand charging solutions. IMS Research is predicting that the global

photovoltaic capacity will increase bybetween 27 and 32 GW, 23 countries willincrease their PV capacity by more than 100MW this year. In addition to China and India,Japan, South America and many countries inthe Middle East in particular will soon beexpanding their PV capacities. The broaddiversification of markets will lead to greaterstability in the industry in the long term asdevelopment will cease relying on thesubsidy policies of individual nations. The Asia-Pacific region is following the

global trend by expanding renewableenergies. Especially in industrial areas, it cantherefore be assumed that energy storageprojects will increase significantly in the nearfuture. In particular, Japan, Australia andSouth Korea are paying close attention tonew storage technologies in order topermanently maintain the stability of theirenergy supply. A study by the market

research company Pike Research reveals theenormous potential of the market volume,which is expected to rise to $12 trillion by theyear 2022. Experts predict that China andJapan will become the driving forces on themarket in the next few years. India will alsoprobably follow the trend: demand is nowalready increasing there due to lower costs. Some industrial nations can only dream

about this: last year the Americangovernment invested $120 million in energystorage technologies in the full knowledgethat the energy storage market in its owncountry will break records in the next fewyears. According to the latest survey ofEnvironmental Business International (EBI)on the American energy market, the marketvolume of the sector amounts to more than$3 trillion and is likely to pass the $5 trillionmark next year. The industrial sector ofenergy storage technologies in the USA hasbeen driven, for example, by the expansionof the fleet of electric vehicles, but especiallyby the construction of large solar and windparks all over the country.

Trends in energy storageAt Intersolar Europe 2013 from June 19–21at Messe München, numerous exhibitors ofthe 1330 in total showcased a variety of new

The latest trend in solar power is on-site consumption backed by battery storage systems shown atIntersolar 2013 Source: Intersolar

Market News_Layout 1 24/07/2013 12:47

8 MARKET NEWS

Issue 5 2013 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com

PV system solutions and investmentopportunities due to the changing landscape. Feed-in tariffs were the greatest incentive for

investing in solar power. However, increasingelectricity prices, tumbling feed-in tariffs andfalling module prices are resulting in the on-siteconsumption of self-generated solar powerbecoming increasingly attractive. According toan electricity price analysis conducted by theGerman Association of Energy and WaterIndustries (BDEW), the electricity price paid byprivate householders has risen over the last fiveyears from an average of 20.64 Euro cents perkWh in 2007 to 25.89 Euro cents per kWh in2012, and a further price increase is expected.Small and medium businesses (SMEs) are alsounable to escape the effects of rising electricityprices. Against this backdrop, the on-siteconsumption of solar power represents anattractive economic and reliable alternative topower generated using conventional methods. Additionally, low PV system prices mean that

solar power can already be generated inGermany for between 12 and 15 Euro centsper kWh. The desire for independence andelectricity prices that remain calculable in thelong term is exerting an ever greater influenceon the purchasing decisions of private andcommercial investors and companies. Sinkinginstallation prices mean that more and morenew medium-sized photovoltaics markets areemerging. The recent decision by the German Federal

Government to make a sum of €25 millionavailable for the programme in connection withthe market launch of electricity storagesystems, will also greatly promotedevelopments in the area of energy storagetechnologies in future. The European batteryindustry was therefore in favor of the EUinitiatives regarding the promotion of renewableenergies, sustainable mobility and resourceefficiency which gave the industry additionalimpetus. These changing demands are providing the

photovoltaics industry with an opportunity todevelop new business models, products andservices. On-site consumption by privatehouseholders, industry and commerce hasresulted in a trend emerging towardscombining PV installations with other systemcomponents, such as energy storage systemsand heat pumps that work alongside energymanagement systems. Energy storage systemsallow surplus electricity to be stored for timesat which it is needed, while solar power can beused to drive heat pumps, and intelligentcontrol systems allow solar power productionand consumption to be synchronized with theuse of domestic appliances. Installationengineers, planners and developers are alsobenefiting from these developments, as the on-site consumption market requires specialistexpert knowledge and greater levels ofconsultation in order to meet consumers’individual requirements. Thus a multitude of

companies showcased complete solutions forthe on-site consumption of solar power and170 exhibitors were registered for energystorage systems alone.Thus higher demand for industrial batteries is

anticipated. In 2012 a sum of almost $750million was invested alone in the area ofindustrial LiIon batteries in Europe. The marketvolume will probably reach $1.7 billion by2017. High figures are also being seen on themarket for hybrid and electric vehicle batteriesin Europe: the market volume here will rise to€20 billion (A.T. Kearney Study “E-DriveBatteries 2025“) by 2025.

Four players dominate the world marketAt the sixth battery designer forum (June 26 –27) in Aschaffenburg/Germany featuring 520delegates Batteryuniversity’s GM Seven Bauergave a closer insight to the world market.Whereas in the year 2010 the world batterymarket was around $62 billion, this figure willincrease up to $93 billion in the year 2015.Lead/acid will decline from over 53 % in 2010to 45 % in 2015, NiCd with its 5 % share in2010 will not survive and thus LiIon willincrease its market share – from $10 billion in2010 up to $16 billion in 2015.Though several initiatives on LiIon technology

have been implemented in Europe, the mainplayers are still located in Japan and SouthKorea. Panasonic (recently acquired Sanyo),Samsung, LG Electronics and to a lesser extendSony dominate the market by around 90 %.Regarding pricing per kWh a decline of 50 %can be expected, from $500 in 2010 down to$250 / kWh in the year 2020. At this event several new technologies and

improvements on LiIon batteries, batterymanagement systems, chargers and powerelectronics have been introduced. Maxell workson Silicon-based nano hybrid electrodesleading to capacity improvements of 20 % atsame voltage (2.75 V). Sony has reduced theDCR (resistance) of their next gen 18650 cellfor e-bikes and power tools down to 25 mΩleading to current capability of 30 A, comparedto 10 A of the first generation. The KarlsruheInstitute of Technology works on CarbonNanotubes for LiIon cathodes which promisesto reduce the cathode weight by 15 % andincrease efficiency by 5 %. The FraunhoferIFAM Institute gave an outlook on rechargeableZinc/Air batteries for range extenderapplication. Additionally new efficient batterymodules as well as charger and invertertopologies have been introduced.

Next in StuttgartThe next event will be the BATTERY+STORAGE2013 (30 Sept. to 2 Oct.) in Stuttgart/Germany.It addresses all players involved in themanufacturing of battery and energy storagesystems for mobile and stationaryimplementations. The program features 140presentations on a wide range of issues relatingto the development, production, applicationand marketing of fuel cell and LiIon batterysystems in various areas of application,examples of best-practices in the field ofelectromobility and approaches to thedevelopment of the necessary infrastructure.

www.intersolar.dewww.batteryuniversity.euwww.battery-storage.de

Battery technology cell market worldwide Source: Batteryuniversity/ BMZ


MARKET NEWS 9


driven by prime

performance

Highly-integrated SCALE-2® ASIC chipsetIGBT driver with plug-and-play functionalityAdvanced Active Clamping (A C)

power. precision. excellence.

www.IGBT-Driver.com

After a few hiccups in 2011 and 2012, Yole Développement expects a return tosteady growth for the IGBT market; specifically, from $3.6 billion in 2013 to $6billion by 2018. Six key applications will fuel this growth. Motor drives is thelargest one for IGBTs, renewable energies (PV and wind) are also trending well.Since they rely on government investments, they can be unpredictable, but

Japan and several developing countries will make up for Europe’s slow-down.Mass transportation and UPS are based on infrastructure needs; thus, theneed for greater efficiency is pushing these markets. As for hybrid and electriccars, question marks remain. Market growth will occur, but nobody canpredict to what extent. Forecast is based on the latest Q1/2013 results andour understanding of technology adoption. Consumer and home appliancesare now part of the equation. Home appliances increasingly require inverter-based motor drives, which provide better performance, comfort andefficiency - all “musts” for high-end products. Consumers are also using moreadvanced home solutions, like induction-based plates for rice cookers. Thesenew applications will contribute to IGBT’s growth in consumer applications.The IGBT market also faces competition from external, market-impacting trends.

IGBT drivers’ area has never been so active, a bunch of start-up companiesproposing solutions offering more design flexibility and/or higher performance.Other companies are structuring offers at power stack level, and a lot of work hasbeen put into power module packaging solutions. “IGBT is no longer the only high-end device solution. SiC devices are ready, and GaN devices are at sample stage.Adoption roadmaps are clearer now. We’ve seen the first full SiC PV inverters basedon MOSFETs or JFETs; we see it more as a displacement. IGBT is slowly moving tomedium and-low end solutions, allowing SiC to handle higher voltages, and GaN tocapitalize on lower voltages,” explains analyst Alexandre Avron. The need for efficient energy solutions is stronger than ever, and IGBT devices

are still undergoing developments and improvements: thinner wafers, moreefficient production, integration of functionalities, etc. This is why YoleDéveloppement believes that IGBT is not on its deathbed, nor even declining. TheIGBT supply chain is not steady either, and we’ve observed a growing number ofAsian companies involved or willing to be involved in this market. Among thebiggest are CSR (who acquired Dynex), and of course BYD; both are movingtowards a vertically integrated business model. Also, foundries and fablesscompanies are targeting opportunities in the low-voltage, low-end market. As a firststep, Asian players will probably remain with standard technologies and focus onproduction for local use. On the other hand, European and US-based players arepushing for innovation. Some, such as ON Semiconductor (with its division Sanyo)and Alpha and Omega Semiconductor, are entering or reentering the IGBT market.

www.yole.fr

IGBTs Back to Growth


10 MARKET NEWS


LAST POWER, the European Union-sponsored program aimed at developing acost-effective and reliable technology for power electronics, announced mid ofMay its three-year program achievements that place Europe at the forefront ofresearch and the commercialization of energy-efficient devices for industrialand automotive applications, consumer electronics, renewable-energyconversion systems, and telecommunications.

LAST POWER (Large Area silicon-carbide Substrates and heTeroepitaxialGaN for POWER device applications) was launched in April 2010 by theEuropean Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council (ENIAC) JointUndertaking (JU), a public-private partnership in nanoelectronics. The initiativelinks private companies, universities and public research centers working in thefield of wide bandgap semiconductors (SiC and GaN). The consortiummembers are STMicroelectronics (Italy), project coordinator, LPE/ETC (Italy),Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems of the National ResearchCouncil –IMM-CNR (Italy), Foundation for Research & Technology-Hellas -FORTH (Greece), NOVASiC (France), Consorzio Catania Ricerche -CCR (Italy),Institute of High Pressure Physics - Unipress (Poland), Università della Calabria(Italy), SiCrystal (Germany), SEPS Technologies (Sweden), SenSiC (Sweden),Acreo (Sweden), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - AUTH (Greece).

The main achievements in SiC-related efforts were based on thedemonstration by SiCrystal of large-area 4H-SiC substrates, 150 mm indiameter, with a cut-off angle of 2°-off axis. The material quality, both in crystalstructure and surface roughness, is comparable with the standard 100 mm 4°-off material available at the beginning of the project. At LPE/ETC, thesesubstrates have been used for epitaxial growth of moderately doped epi-layerssuitable for the fabrication of 600-1200 V JBS (Junction Barrier Schottky)diodes and MOSFETs, owing to the development of a novel CVD (ChemicalVapor Deposition) reactor for the growth on large-area (150 mm) 4H-SiC.

The quality of the epitaxial layer enabled the fabrication of JBS (Junction

Barrier Schottky) diodes in the industrial production line at STMicroelectronics.The characterization of the first lots showed electrical performance comparablewith the state-of-the-art 4°-off material. In this context, the fundamentaltechnological step was the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process -StepSiC ® reclamation and planarization - implemented at NOVASiC, which isa key issue both for the preparation of the substrates before epitaxial growthand for the sub-nanometric control of the surface roughness of the deviceactive layers. Within the project, the same company also developed epitaxialgrowth capability for both MOSFET and JFET devices. Additional researchactivities in SiO2/SiC interfaces have been carried out in collaboration with STand IMM-CNR to improve the channel mobility in 4H-SiC MOSFETs. Finally,novel technological modules for high-temperature 4H-SiC JFETs and MOSFETshave been developed in collaboration between Acreo and FORTH, with thesupport of CCR for the study of molding compounds and “lead-free” die-attachmaterials for reliable packaging solutions.

The LAST POWER project also researched the use of GaN-based devices inpower-electronics applications. In particular, ST successfully obtained thedevelopment of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs epitaxial structures grown on 150 mm Sisubstrates, reaching a target of 3 µm thickness and 200 V breakdown. LASTPOWER worked with IMM-CNR, Unipress, and ST to develop the technologicalsteps for normally-off AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with a “gold-free” approach. Theprocess modules are fully compatible with the device-fabrication flow-chart setin the ST production line and are being integrated for HEMTs fabrication. Theinteraction between the project partners working on material growth anddevice technology has enabled important steps towards monolithic integrationof GaN-based and SiC-based devices, as both technologies have beensuccessfully proven on 2°-off axis 4H-SiC substrates.

www.eniac-lastpower.org

European Project on SiC/GaNPower Microelectronics

Digi-Key serves as exclusivedistributor of SiC Schottkyrectifiers from US-based GeneSiCSemiconductor. These rectifiersare specifically targeted towardsvoltage multiplier circuits andhigh voltage assemblies used inx-ray, laser, and particlegenerator power supplies. These3300 V/0.3 A Schottky rectifiersfeature zero reverse recoverycurrent that does not changewith temperature. This relativelyhigh voltage in a single deviceallows a reduction in voltagemultiplication stages required intypical high voltage generatorcircuits, through use of higher ACinput voltages. The near-ideal

switching characteristics allowthe elimination/drastic reductionof voltage balancing networksand snubber circuits. “We believethe 3300 V rating is a keydifferentiator for the high voltagegenerator market, and will allowsignificant benefits to ourcustomers,” said Ranbir Singh,President of GeneSiCSemiconductor. All devices aretested to full voltage/currentratings and housed in halogen-free, RoHS-compliant, industry-standard TO-220FP (Full Pack)packages.

www.genesic.com,www.digikey.com

Digi-Key StocksGeneSiC 3300 V SiCSchottky Rectifiers

NMI, the trade association for electronic systems,microelectronics and semiconductors, established a multi-annual innovation roadmap for the UK’s power electronicsindustry.

The initiative is being undertaken in partnership withgovernment and seeks to increase the UK industry’s share ofthe global power electronics market. The roadmap is expectedto identify key and disruptive technologies that can beexploited by UK industry and can be used to communicate togovernment the most effective, strategic fundingopportunities. The Forum stems from the governmental report‘Power Electronics - A Strategy For Success’ published inOctober 2011.

Facilitated by NMI and supported by IET, Gambica and theESP Knowledge Transfer Network the Forum is an industry-ledcollaborative effort to have the UK recognized as a “worldleader”, bringing jobs and investment to the country.

www.power-electronics.org.uk

UK Power ElectronicsTechnology Roadmap


MARKET NEWS 11


The majority of senior buyers andexecutives from the coil winding,insulation and electricalmanufacturing sectors attending thisyear’s (June 4-6) CWIEME in Berlinare forecasting strong businessrecovery over the next 12 months.The exhibition brought together over750 international exhibitors and6,000 visitors from over 100countries - making this year’s showthe biggest on record.

The results from an exclusivesurvey commissioned by organisersi2i Events Group show that 49 %believe their business will performbetter in the next 12 months.However, one of the biggest issuesidentified in the survey is the needfor European manufacturers toconfront growing competition fromemerging economies, principally inareas such as price and speed ofinnovation and market entry.Speakers at CWIEME’s workshopprogram also stated that Europehad the lead in the area ofrenewable energy where suppliersand manufacturers were developingworld-leading technologies for windturbines, tidal power and hydro-electricity. “Europe has being caughtnapping. For many years Europeansellers of electrical rotatingmachines and coil winding

CWIEME Visitors Forecast Strong European Recovery

Innovation by Tradition

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components have enjoyedsustained growth and securemarkets”, said Roger Schwander,Head of Expert Pool at SCO

Consulting. “However, new marketentrants from countries such asChina, India and Brazil mean theyare now facing much stiffer

competition on price. UnlessEuropean manufacturers innovatequicker and bring products tomarket faster they will suffer in the


12 MARKET NEWS


The “Power Drive” family of drivers from UK-based Amantys offer improved creepage and clearance andisolation over alternative products in the market, with each drive configurable to operate different IGBTmodules. This greatly simplifies the purchasing and logistics process in inverter designs for applications suchas wind turbines, solar farm grid ties, and medium voltage motor drives.These gate drives are available for operating voltages of 1.2 kV, 1.7 kV, 3.3 kV and 4.5 kV IGBTs with a

current load rating up to 3600 A. They are compatible with all popular modules from ABB, Dynex, FujiElectric, Hitachi, Infineon, Mitsubishi or Westcode/IXYS in case sizes 190x140 mm, 140x130 mm andPrimePack. In addition to the standard IGBT driver functionality, with “Amantys Power Insight” these productsalso receive IGBT performance data in real-time, allowing the system engineer to monitor and log operatingconditions, make long-term measurements or control the module remotely. This approach to power

electronics attracted the attention of GvA CEO, WernerBresch. “With Amantys Power Insight we can receivereal-time data about the performance of the systemand initiate specific preventive actions if necessary,even when the system is remote and relativelyinaccessible, such as in an offshore wind turbine,” saidBresch. “This makes remote diagnosis andmaintenance planning more cost efficient and fareasier to manage.” Amantys demonstrated this monitoring capability in

a live traction application at PCIM 2013. In the courseof this development, Amantys collaborated with DynexSemiconductor to integrate 4,500 V IGBT Modules inthe EMEF “Lusogate” modular traction system,currently undergoing extensive system field trials inPortugal.

www.gva-leistungselektronik.de,www.amantys.com

GVA Implements AmantysIGBT Gate Drivers

Mid May US-based FPGA companyAltera announced it has signed adefinitive merger agreement toacquire Enpirion, Inc., a provider ofintegrated power conversion productsknown as PowerSoCs (power system-on-chip).“Power is increasingly a strategic

choice for product differentiation incommunications, computing andenterprise, and industrialapplications,” said Altera’s CEO JohnDaane. “By adding a power group toAltera, we will bring even more valueto system-level designs. Our FPGAroadmap will be enhancedsignificantly with the addition ofEnpirion’s power technologies.”Enpirion’s key enabling powertechnologies such as high-frequencyswitching, magnetics and packagingare engineered into complete powersystem-on-chip products.

www.altera.com

AlteraAcquiresEnpirion

years to come.”Three of the strongest business

areas identified by surveyrespondents are renewable energy,the automotive sector andconsumer electronics. For thoseinvolved in these sectors, 86 %expected their level of business toincrease over the next 3 years with

57 % of respondents predicting thiswill be by up to 10 %. But 19 %forecast that their business will growby up to 20 % over the next 3years. Some of the world’s biggestsuppliers of components areexhibiting including Shell, Waasner,Krempel, Trancerie Emiliane, CogentPower (part of Tata Steel) ABB,

Nynas, VonRoll and GKN. The 2013CWIEME is the first under theownership of i2i Events Group,which acquired the event and itssister shows in Bangalore andChicago in September 2012. i2iEvents is also launching a newCWIEME exhibition in Shanghai,China in 2014. “Europe in particular

is seeing a major focus onrenewable energy technology inorder to meet the EU RenewableEnergy Directive targets for 2020,”commented Haf Cennydd, i2iEvents Group’s Portfolio Director.

www.coilwindingexpo.com/berlin

EPE ‘13-ECCE Europe, the 15th European Conference on PowerElectronics and Applications (and Exhibition), will be held in Lille/Francefrom September 3-5. The conference follows previous conferences heldin major university cities across Europe since 1985, most recentlyDresden, Aalborg, Barcelona and Birmingham. This time, EPE ‘13-ECCEEurope will take place in a city located at the crossroads of Paris, Brusselsand London.

In the Lille EPE’13 - ECCE Europe conference, a wide range of topicswill be broached with a particular focus on clean transportation systems:in 1983, Lille and its suburbs was the first area in the world equippedwith a fully automated light metro named the “VAL”, which was then

exported to Seoul, Chicago and Torino. In 2013, to commemorate the30th anniversary of this world first, special events will be proposed incollaboration with industrial and economic partners concerned by theVAL. Special attention is focused on Smart Grids, a special event withinthe conference will cover “Power Electronics Enabling the Grid of theFuture”. Also an “Aeronautic Day” will cover the various subjects of the all-electric aircraft. A “Automotive Day” will cover electric vehicles &infrastructure within various sessions and a panel discussion, and a“Railway Day” traction & infrastructure.

www.epe2013.com

Power Electronics and Transport at EPE 2013


INDUSTRY NEWS 13


Linear Technology Corporation introduces theLT4320, an ideal diode bridge controller for 9 V to72 V systems that replaces each of the four diodesin a full-wave bridge rectifier with a low loss N-channel MOSFET to significantly reduce the powerdissipation and increase available voltage. Powersupply size is reduced as the enhanced powerefficiency eliminates bulky heat sinks. Low voltageapplications benefit from the extra margin affordedby saving the two diode drops inherent in diodebridges. Compared to the traditional alternative,the MOSFET bridge enables a rectifier design thatis highly space- and power-efficient.Almost all of the electric power generated today

is of the AC, while that demanded by electronicsystems is of the DC kind. The conversion processfrom AC to DC is called rectification. While thereare various rectification techniques, evenelectromechanical ones some decades ago, asimple electronic method involves a single diode(hence diodes are also called rectifiers). The diodeallows the AC to pass through with a singlepolarity, blocking it when the voltage reverses(half-wave rectification as only half of the ACwaveform passes through). To avail the completepower available in the AC waveform, a full-waverectifier is used. It is constructed out of four diodesin the well-known bridge configuration.However, in high power applications the diodes

dissipate significant power and with low voltageinputs the two inherent diode drops take asignificant bite out of the operating voltage. Thediode bridge power dissipation can be calculatedas 2 x 0.6 V (diode voltage dropp) x IL, whichyields 1.2 W at 1 A, 12 W at 10 A, and 120 W at100 A. Rising power dissipation demandsincreasing amounts of heat sinking efforts todissipate the heat and maintain the diode

MOSFET Bridge ControllerMinimizes Rectifier Voltage Loss

temperature within limits. At low power levels,spare circuit board area may suffice but at higherlevels large and bulky heat sinks are required. Thetwo diode drop voltage, roughly 1.2 V, is only 0.7% of 170 V (peak voltage for 120 V AC), but 10 %of 12 V and 13.3 % of 9 V. A diode bridge rectifieron the auxiliary input with its two diode dropsfurther exacerbates the wide range problem,especially at the lower end to 9.6 V (= 10.8 V –1.2 V). Sometimes the minimum voltage isspecified at 9 V, which after the diode bridgebecomes 7.8 V.

MOSFETs replacing diodesThe LT4320 replaces each of the four diodes in afull-wave bridge rectifier with a low loss N-channelMOSFET to significantly reduce the powerdissipation and increase available voltage. Lowvoltage applications benefit from the extra marginafforded by saving the two diode drops inherent indiode bridges. Compared to the traditionalalternative, the MOSFET bridge enables a rectifierdesign that is highly space- and power-efficient.The controller operates for 9 V to 72 V systems atinput frequencies from DC to 600 Hz. The LT4320 switch control smoothly turns on

the appropriate two MOSFETs, while keeping theother two off to prevent reverse currents. Anintegrated charge pump provides the gate drive forthe external low on-resistance N-channel MOSFETswithout requiring external flying capacitors. Thechoice of MOSFETs offers the greatest flexibility inpower levels ranging from one to thousands ofwatts.

MOSFET selectionA good starting point is to reduce the powerdissipation of the ideal bridge to 1/10 that of a

diode rectifier bridge. Given the average outputload current, IAVG, select RDS(ON) to be:

70 mVRDS(ON) = ––––––– for a DC power input

IAVGor

70 mVRDS(ON) = ––––––– for an AC power input

3 x IAVG

In the AC power input calculation, 3 x IAVG assumesthe duration of current conduction occupies 1/3 ofthe AC period. The maximum allowable drain-source voltage, VDSS, needs to be higher than themaximum input voltage.Choose the lowest available total gate charge,

QG, and correspondingly the lowest CISS, COSS, andCRSS. Choosing a lower gate capacitance whilemeeting RDS(ON) speeds up the response time forfull enhancement, regulation, turn-off, and inputshorting events. VGS(th) must be a minimum of 2 Vor higher. A gate threshold voltage lower than 2 Vis not recommended since too much time isneeded to discharge the gate below the thresholdand halt current conduction during a hot plug orinput short event.

Design exampleFor a 24 W, 12 V DC / 24 V AC application, IAVG =2 A for 12 V DC. To cover the 12 V DC case:

70 mVRDS(ON) = ––––––– = 35mΩ

2A

For the 24 V AC operation, IAVG = 1A. To coverthe 24 V AC case:

70mVRDS(ON) = ––––––– = 23mΩ

3 x 1 A

This provides a starting range of RDS(ON) values tochoose from.Ensure the MOSFET can handle a continuous

current of 3 x IAVG to cover the expected peakcurrents during AC rectification. That is, select ID ≥3A. Since a 24V AC waveform can reach 34 Vpeak, select a MOSFET with VDSS >>34 V. A goodchoice of VDSS is 60 V in a 24 V AC application.

Load capacitor selectionA 1 F ceramic and a 10 F minimum electrolyticcapacitor must be placed across the OUTP and

LEFT: The LT4320 diode bridge controller replaces theconventional rectifiers with MOSFETS

Industry News_Layout 1 24/07/2013 12:54

14 INDUSTRY NEWS


OUTN pins with the 1 F ceramic placed as closeto the LT4320 as possible. Downstream powerneeds and voltage ripple tolerance determine howmuch additional capacitance between OUTP andOUTN is required. CLOAD in the hundreds tothousands of microfarads is common.

A good starting point is selecting CLOAD such that:

CLOAD ≥ IAVG/(VRIPPLE x 2 x Freq)

where IAVG is the average output load current, VRIPPLE

is the maximum tolerable output ripple voltage,and Freq is the frequency of the input AC source.For example, in a 60 Hz, 24 V AC applicationwhere the load current is 1A and the tolerableripple is 15 V, choose

CLOAD ≥ 1 A/(15 V x 2 x 60 Hz) = 556 F.

CLOAD must also be selected so that the rectified

output voltage, OUTP-OUTN, must be within theLT4320/LT4320-1 specified OUTP voltage range. For applications that may encounter brief over-

voltage events higher than the absolutemaximum rating, install a unidirectional transientvoltage suppressor (TVS) between the OUTPand OUTN pins as close as possible to theLT4320.

Application benefitsReplacing diodes with MOSFETs reduces thevoltage drop and consequently the powerdissipation by a factor of 10. This drastic reductionin heat dissipation eliminates heat sinks from lowpower applications while simplifying thermaldesign in high power ones. With a 9 V input, twodiode drops (1.2 V) eat up 13 % of the availablevoltage. With MOSFETs this wastage can bereduced by 10x making the end application muchmore feasible.The integrated charge-pump facilitates an all N-

channel MOSFET design, simplifying the Bill ofMaterials (BOM) as opposed to a design using amix of N- and P- channel MOSFETs. N-channelMOSFETs are smaller, economical and offer awider selection than P-channel ones. Beingexternal to the controller, the MOSFETs can beeasily sized for a wide range of application powerlevels.The charge pump provides at least 425µA of

pull-up current to turn on the top-side N-channelMOSFET gate. No external flying capacitors arerequired. The strong pull-up current enablesrectification for high frequency inputs and highpower applications employing large gate chargeMOSFETs.The LT4320 input frequency range

encompasses DC, common AC line frequencies of50 Hz and 60 Hz, and airborne AC generation at400 Hz. Higher frequencies of operation arepossible depending on MOSFET size. Designingwith the LT4320 primarily involves selection of onecomponent - the external N-channel MOSFET.Reduced heat greatly eases board thermal designwhile the increased operating voltage simplifiesdownstream power supply design.

www.linear.com/LT4320

Current flow when input IN1 of LT4320 sees a positivewaveform Temperature rise of diode vs MOSFET bridge

24 V AC samplewaveforms

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Industry News_Layout 1 24/07/2013 12:54

INDUSTRY NEWS 15


Power Integration’s new LYTSwitch-0 ICs aredesigned for cost-sensitive, non-isolated, non-dimmable GU10 bulbs and other space-constrained bulb applications. The devicesfeature efficiencies of more than 90 % anddeliver constant current with better than +/- 5% regulation in typical applications. Power factoris greater than 0.8 at 115 VAC and 0.55 at 230V AC, meeting ENERGYSTAR™ V1 draft 3consumer lighting standards for North Americaand Ecodesign Directive Lot 19 part 2 forEurope. LYTSwitch-0 is optimized to achieve a simple

and cost effective LED driver with good line andtemperature regulation from 0 to 100°C(LYTSwitch-0 case temperature). The LYTSwitch-0family has built-in thermal limit to protect thepower supply in case the bulb is subjected to anexcessive operating temperature.LYTSwitch-0 combines a high-voltage power

MOSFET switch with a power supply controller inone device. Unlike conventional PWM controllers, ituses a simple ON/OFF control to regulate theoutput voltage. The controller consists of anoscillator, feedback (sense and logic) circuit, 5.8 Vregulator, BYPASS pin undervoltage circuit, over-temperature protection, frequency jittering, currentlimit circuit, blanking and a 700 V power MOSFET.

The device incorporates additional circuitry forauto-restart.The start-up and operating power are derived

directly from the voltage on the DRAIN pin,eliminating the need for a bias supply andassociated circuitry. The fully integrated auto-restart

circuit safely limits output power during faultconditions such as short-circuit or open-loop.

LYTSwitch-0 reference design To assist designers a cost effective power supplyutilizing the LYTSwitchTM-0 family (LYT0006P) in a

Highly Integrated Driver ICs for Low-Power LED Bulbs

PowerIntegration’s newLYTSwitch-0 isoptimized toachieve a simpleand cost effectiveLED driver withgood line andtemperatureregulation

Functional block diagram LYTSwitch-0002

Industry News 2_Layout 1 24/07/2013 13:00

16 INDUSTRY NEWS


highly compact buck topology has beendeveloped. This power supply operates over aninput voltage range of 90 V AC to 264 V AC. TheDC bus voltage is high enough to support a 54 Voutput when using a buck topology. In a buckconverter the output voltage must always be lowerthan the input voltage. The output voltage is alsolimited by the maximum duty cycle of theLYTSwitch-0, which also requires the input voltageto be larger than the output voltage.The power supply uses the LYT0006P (U1) in a

high-side buck configuration to deliver a constant110 mA current at an output voltage of 54 V DC.The power supply is designed for driving LEDs,which should always be driven with a constantcurrent (CC).Fuse RF1 provides short circuit protection.

Bridge BR1 provides full wave rectification for goodpower factor. Capacitor C1, C2 and common-mode choke L1 form a Pi (π) filter in order tomeet conducted EMI standards. Capacitor C1 andC2 are also used for energy storage reducing linenoise and protecting against line surge.The buck converter stage is consists of the

integrated power MOSFET switch within LYT0006P(U1), a freewheeling diode (D1), sense resistor(R2), power inductor L2 and output capacitor(C5). The converter is operating mostly in DCM inorder to limit the cycles of reverse current. A fastfreewheeling diode was selected to minimize theswitching losses.Inductor L2 is a standard EE10 which will

constrain the flux path and ensure the rightinductance in any casing. It can be replaced by alower cost drum-core inductor once positioned ina specific enclosure that has a known effect on themagnetic flux of the inductor.Fast output diode (D1) was used to achieve

good efficiency and for thermal management.Normally for LED applications, the ambienttemperature is above 70°C. A device with low tRR(<35 nS) is recommended.Regulation is maintained by skipping switching

cycles. As the output current rises, the voltage intothe FB pin will rise. If this exceeds VFB thensubsequent cycles will be skipped until the voltagereduces below VFB. Current is sensed from R2 andfiltered by C4, then fed to the FB pin for accurateregulation. The key to achieving good lineregulation is in balancing the power inductor and

sense resistor values after the minimuminductance has been calculated.The bypass capacitor (C4) is connected

between the FEEDBACK pin and the SOURCE pinand helps reduce power loss during output currentsensing. The capacitor acts to sample-and-hold thefeedback current information for the FB pin. Nolimiting resistor is required between the FB pin andC4, because the peak voltage will not exceed themaximum rating of the device.Optional, one shot, no-load protection circuit is

incorporated in this design. In case of accidentalno-load operation, the output capacitor isprotected by VR1. Zener diode VR1 would need tobe replaced after a failure.In operation (LED retrofit lamp), the load is

always connected, so VR1 can be removed tosave cost. To protect during board level testing(in manufacturing) 40 V AC can be applied tothe input; if no output current is measured thenthe load is not connected. This test will allowsafe, non-destructive initial power up of theboard, without the need of an O V protectioncircuit.Samples of LYTSwitch-0in SO-8 and DIP

packages are available now, priced at $0.29 eachin 10,000-piece quantities. Datasheet andintroduction video are available atwww.powerint.com/en/products/lytswitch-family/lytswitch-0

Power supply schematic. T1 can be replaced by a drum core inductor if final casing/housing has sufficient room to avoidshorting the magnetic flux

Populated PCBreference designtop side

Populated PCBreference designbottom side

Industry News 2_Layout 1 24/07/2013 13:00

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18 POWER SEMICONDUCTORS www.gansystems.com


GaN Switching for Efficient ConvertersGaN transistor switching speeds of 50 V per nanosecond and two orders of magnitude improvement inspecific on-resistance over Silicon devices improve volumetric and conversion efficiency in any powersystems and has particular relevance to solar boost converters. GaN Systems novel switch topologymaximizes these advantages whilst reducing cost of manufacture. By designing CMOS integrated driversolutions upon which the GaN die is mounted directly in a stacked chip assembly – combining the switch,its driver, sensors and customized interface circuitry – helps to ease design-in these new devices. Girvan Patterson, CEO GaN Systems Inc., Ottawa, Canada

GaN Systems novel switch is formedfrom a sea of source and drain islands witha common gate region running betweenthem (see Figure 1). This results in up tofour times reduction in the die areaoccupied by a transistor of given on-resistance and simplifies the semiconductorprocessing required, thereby minimizingmanufacturing cost. In addition highbreakdown voltages, in excess of 1200 V,can be achieved with this topology. Thecurrent in each source island flows directlyfrom the die through a copper post into the

interconnect pattern on the surface towhich the die is mounted. Initially producedusing GaN on SiC processes, these devicesare now migrating to GaN on Silicon.Each drain island is connected by a

through-substrate-via to a commonconnection pad on the back of the die. Inthis way no large current flows in on-chipmetallization allowing high currents to beswitched without danger of electro-migration. The construction allows flip chipassembly of the die eliminating the need forbond wires (see Figure 2). Conventional

bonds represent significant inductance thatcontribute to high frequency switchingtransients and power loss in designs thattake maximum benefit from switchingspeeds of the order of 50 V/ns.

Normally-off via cascodeWhilst processes are emerging that allownormally-off switching action using Islanddesigns, the resulting degradation of on-resistance of these devices over equivalentnormally-on solutions favors the adoptionof the latter in high power applications.The inclusion of a cascode connected

low voltage MOSFET switch in the sourceconnection of the GaN device provides anequivalent normally-off switching action. Tofacilitate simple application of the switch inpractical applications, the GaN switch canbe directly mounted onto the drain pad ofa low on resistance, low voltage NMOStransistor forming a chip-on-chip CMOS /GaN stack that represents a normally-offstructure.The NMOS transistor is integral to a

CMOS driver chip that provides sensing ofgate voltage and temperature of the switchand is able to control the slew rate of theGaN switch. First iterations of this switchand driver combination include differentialinputs, and a Schmitt trigger. The circuit canbe driven by a logic input or even a pulsetransformer to facilitate galvanic isolation(Figure 3).Future developments are planned that

will include high voltage isolation within thedriver chip using a SOS process. Addingmultiple GaN switches then offers theprospect of forming complete half and fullbridge isolated switch configurations (Figure4).

Thermal issues to be solvedAlthough the GaN die is thinned to 100microns, thermal resistance remains aconcern. Heat removal from the GaN die is

Figure 1: Comparedto the traditional FETfinger structure theGaN Systems switchis formed from a seaof source and drainislands with acommon gate regionrunning betweenthem

Figure 2: Flip-chip assembly eliminating the need for bond wires

GaSystems_Feature_1-840918944.e$S_Layout 1 24/07/2013 13:59

www.gansystems.com POWER SEMICONDUCTORS 19


achieved separately from the heat that isgenerated by the MOSFET. This approach isneeded to allow the MOSFET to remainwithin its temperature range. Thereforepackaging issues were a prime concernduring the design process.

Because the GaN transistor has tentimes the on-resistance of the low voltageMOSFET it is vital to achieve effective heatremoval from the surface of the GaNdevice. Although there are 12 plus 1copper posts mounted on the surface ofthe GaN transistor, more than 90 % of theheat is actually dissipated via thesubstructure of the GaN transistor. Currentlymost GaN transistors produced are built onSiC or Si substrates. GaN on Si devicesproduced using thick Si substrates are lessprone to warp issues but the thermalresistance is problematic. However, if the Sisubstrates can be thinned to 0.1 mm, thethermal resistance of the SiC and the Sisubstrates are similar. The graphs shown inFigure 5 were drawn for the examplewhere the GaN device dissipates 40 W andCMOS device dissipates 4 W. The upperand lower heat spreaders are held at 50°C.The combined devices (2 mm x 2 mmGaN and 4 mm x4 mm CMOS) aremounted in an equivalent PQFN structureoutlined in the thermal cross section.

Electrical performanceThe CMOS circuit was designed to conformto the design rules of a conventional 1micron CMOS fabrication foundry. SPICEmodels were supplied by the CMOSfoundry and a SPICE model was developedfor the GaN transistor. Particular care wastaken to include within the GaN model athermal network that includes severalelements that enable the on-resistance andsaturation current to dynamically trackactive area temperature. The modelincludes the thermal resistance of the GaNtransistor and it also allows the user toinclude the package thermal resistance

(Figure 6).Keeping the model compact, and

restricting it to a small number of nodes,allows for quick convergence in highly non-linear simulations such as power switchingtransients. In order to populate the modelparameters with appropriate values, theGaN device has been characterized usingpulsed IV and CV measurements over biasand temperature.

Consideration was given to processcorners and statistical variations. Systematicverification of the device behavior under

various modes of operation, includingpower switching load lines, completes themodeling process. Co-simulating thetransient response of the GaN transistorwith the CMOS driver and the packageparasitics provides a realistic prediction ofthe electrical and thermal performance ofthe device in a power switching application.The CMOS / GaN hybrid was designed tobe capable of being driven by an isolatingpulse transformer. Galvanic isolation allowsfor the device to be used in the uppersection of a half bridge. This isolation, if

ABOVE Figure 3: Block diagram of integrated driver / GaN switch

ABOVE Figure 4: A future isolated half bridgefunction using multiple GaN switch die and a SOSdriver stack

ABOVE Figure 5: Thermal resistance and surface temperature of GaN devices

LEFT Figure 6:Block diagramillustrating theelements used inthe electro-thermal non-linear modeldeveloped for theGaN HEMT


20 POWER SEMICONDUCTORS www.gansystems.com


fully on within 15 ns of the input signalsreaching the trigger levels of the Schmittcircuits. The input capacitance of theSchmitt circuits is less than 1 pf (Figure 7).

The GaN transistor and CMOS circuit wereassembled in a prototype PQFN package.Given a resistive load of 60 Ω the 1200 VGaN transistor cascoded with the CMOS /MOSFET is able to achieve a 350 V transitionwithin 10 ns. The delay from the pre-drivertransition to the completed output swing isless than 15 ns. The overall delay time fromthe output of the isolating pulse transformeris approximately 20 ns – the CMOS circuithaving added 5 ns as shown in the screenshot of Figure 7 (right).

PV boost converter performanceThe typical operating points for the PhotoVoltaic (PV) string using central maximumpower point (MPP) tracking can bebetween 150 and 350V. A simplifiedschematic of the test circuit used toevaluate the performance of the GaN

transistor, the PQFN GaN transistor andCMOS circuit, and the realized converterare shown in Figure 8.

The converter was tested under twooperating voltage conditions. First, a 200 Vinput was applied and a 400 V output wasestablished. The output power was thenswept from 750 W to 2 kW. The system

achieved at low cost can also be used toalleviate ground loop problems that mayoccur when driving the lower section. Thesimulated results include the pulsetransformer SPICE model.

The delay from the rise of the input tothe Schmitt circuit to the MOSFET turning-on is less than 5 ns. The GaN transistor is

ABOVE & RIGHTFigure 7: Simulatedand measured resultsincluding an isolationpulse transformer(above), CMOS circuitand GaN transistor

LEFT Figure 8: Basicschematic, PQFN GaNsemiconductors, andrealized PV boostconverter

maintained an efficiency of greater than98.2 % over the entire operating range.Since there is so little loss in the converterpower stage, only passive air cooling isnecessary. Another series of tests wereconducted where a 300 V input wasapplied and a 400 V output wasestablished. Here, the output power was

LEFT Figure 9: Boostconverter efficiencyfrom 2 kW to 5 kWoutput power


www.gansystems.com POWER SEMICONDUCTORS 21


swept from 2 kW to 5 kW. The systemmaintains over 99 % efficiency from 2 kWto 4 kW, and then dips slightly to 98.5 %at 5 kW (Figure 9). The converter has anapproximate mass of 487 grams whichequates to a gravimetric power density ofapproximately 10 kW/kg.Figure 10 shows the roadmap, from

individual GaN switches to fully integratedsubsystems.

ConclusionThe described combinations of GaN

switches and CMOS or SOS custom driverdevices serve to accelerate the adoptionof the advantages of GaN switches intopower conversion and control systems byproviding the system designer with asingle device that is easily driven fromlogic signals. The inclusion of feedbackfrom on-chip sensors and the ability tocontrol switching slew rate open theprospect of tailoring the switchperformance for given applications. Insolar applications the high voltageoperation, embedded galvanic isolation

and high speed operation of thesedevices offer the prospect of higherswitching speeds with improvedconversion efficiency, lower componentcount, smaller size and reducedconversion loss.

Literature“Development of Gallium Nitride

Switches for Efficient Converters”, PEESpecial Session Power GaN for HighlyEfficient Converters, PCIM Europe 2013,Nuremberg

Figure 10: GaNSystems roadmap


22 SEMICONDUCTORS www.transphormusa.com


High Voltage Gallium NitrideDevices for InvertersGallium Nitride (GaN) devices now demonstrate higher efficiency in inverter circuits for both solar andmotor drive systems and in power supply building blocks such as the DC/DC LLC and the PFC. The articleinvestigates how GaN is making such rapid performance progress and uses test results to illustrate what isnow possible using GaN compared to recent SiC transistor performance. It then predicts futureimprovements that will continue to make GaN a more attractive alternative to either Si or SiC for highefficiency systems. Umesh Mishra and Yifeng Wu, Transphorm Inc., Goleta, USA

For the past four decades, the SiliconMOSFET designers have accomplishedgreat results in density by converting fromplanar designs to trench and thendecreasing the size of the trenches whichreduces the specific on-resistance whileincreasing the capacitance.At high voltage the super junction

devices were created to reduce the EPIportion of the conduction losses of highvoltage devices while again increasing thecapacitance and changing its characteristicsin the circuit. Subsequent generations ofsuper junction devices minimized thiscapacitance problem in hard switchedapplications. Subsequent generationsfocused on either hard switched or softswitched in order to optimize theperformance trade-offs specifically for thatapplication. While recent improvements insuper junction silicon devices reduce theoutput capacitance by 20 % and the

reverse recovery charge Qrr of the intrinsicbody diode by 25 %, that is a far distancebehind the effective Qrr of the new GaNtransistors which reduce Qrr by 95 %.While GaN was behind SiC for powerdevices, its pace of progress has beenrapid, overtaking that of SiC in manyapplications and thereby capturing theinterest of systems manufacturers.

Rejecting some of the mythsWhen discussing the latest trends in HVGaN products is best to begin by rejectingsome of the myths. First, dynamic on-resistance or current collapse has beeneliminated for 600 V products back in2009. Second there were many peoplewho believed that it was not possible tomake and qualify 600 V GaN on Silicon.With the recent JEDEC qualification ofTransphorm’s first generation of GaN-on-Sidevices, we believe that has also been laid

to rest as well as the issue that dislocationswould prevent such an accomplishment.The initial 600 V products include both

diodes and GaN high electron mobilitytransistors (HEMT). The TPH3006PSHEMT combines low switching andconduction losses to reduce energy loss by50 percent compared to conventionalSilicon-based power conversion designs.The TO-220-packaged GaN transistorfeatures low on-state resistance of 150m, low reverse-recovery charge of 54 nCand thus high-frequency switchingcapability. As illustrated in Figure 1, theHEMT is capable of switching 400 V in 3.5ns. It is this fast switching that makes thehigher performance achievable. While fastswitching is expected with GaN devices,the low capacitance of the GaN HEMTimproves the performance in resonantswitching more than expected.Also available in industry-standard TO-

Figure 1: Switching characteristicsof the TPH3006PS HEMT

Transphormusa_Feature_Layout 1 24/07/2013 14:07

www.transphormusa.com SEMICONDUCTORS 23


220 packages, the TPS3410PK andTPS3411PK GaN diodes offer 6 A and 4 Aoperating currents, respectively, with aforward voltage of 1.3 V. In addition, threeapplication kits — PFC (TDPS400E1A7),Daughter Board (TDPS500E0A) and MotorDrive (TDMC4000E0I) — are available forrapidly benchmarking the in-circuitperformance.

High-efficiency applicationsWith the implementation of a highefficiency off-line 1 kW 48 V power supplya peak efficiency of 97.5 percent has been

demonstrated . The power supply designutilizes a 99 % efficient totem pole powerfactor correction (PFC) front end,combined with a 98.6 % efficiency LLCconverter (Figure 2). A prototype circuithas been displayed at the PCIM EuropeConference and Exhibition.

ConclusionGaN devices for high voltage have nowmoved out of the lab and into systemsproviding designers new tools with whichto continue enabling greater systemsperformance. The completion of

qualification of GaN at 600 volts clearlydispels several myths that were previouslyrepeated in order to predict a very limitedopportunity for GaN.

Literature“Latest High Voltage GaN Devices for

Inverters”, PEE Special Session PowerGaN for Highly Efficient Converters,PCIM Europe 2013, Nuremberg

Figure 2: Off-line 1kW 48 V powersupply reaches apeak efficiency of97.5 percent utilizingGaN devices

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24 POWER MODULES www.abb.com/semiconductors


Improved HiPak Modules forPower Electronic ApplicationsToday, IGBT based power electronic modules are the devices of choice for a vast range of applications fromlight-rail vehicles, heavy duty multi megawatts locomotives, to hundred megawatts HVDC installations. Highreliability is the key element that needs to be addressed in all applications. ABB challenges the limits ofboth, the electrical and reliability specifications, by means of new, well-known and established technologies.Gontran Pâques and Raffael Schnell, ABB Semiconductors, Lenzburg, Switzerland

Since its introduction nearly twodecades ago, high power IGBTs developedto be the device of choice for powerelectronics applications covering a widerange of voltage and current. The ABBHiPak line-up suits the needs ofapplications like light-rail vehicles andindustrial drives in the hundred kilowatts tolower megawatt range, multi megawattelectric locomotives and industrial drivesand even HVDC converters of up toseveral hundred megawatts. The need for

energy efficient motor drive solutions andtransportation together with the urge toexplore alternative energy sources such aswind-power, further drive the demand ofpower-electronic converters. Since the up-time of such applications is crucial for thewhole economics, reliability requirementsare key.

Improved HiPak platformABB is introducing an improved packagefor the complete HiPak module product

portfolio (Figure 1) starting with thevoltage range from 1700 V up to 3300 V.This improved platform is a one-to-onereplacement of the actual products andthere is no change neither in the electricalnor the thermal characteristics of themodule. Its improved reliability is based onestablished technologies and designs thatwhere developed and tested in the pastfew years. This new improved HiPakplatform ensures that the HiPak standardfits also for the applications of tomorrow.Past designs of power modules often

used a hard mold, usually epoxy. For theuse in modern power modules epoxy hasmore and more issues to fulfill the largenumber of requirements such as highoperating temperature range (-50 to150°C), international fire and smokestandards and a high comparative trackingindex (CTI) for short creepage distance.Moreover, the expoxy’s thermal expansioncoefficient does not match to thecorresponding coefficients of the othermaterials in the module. This is needed,however, to fulfill the temperature cyclingrequirements. Furthermore, hard moldslike expoxy contain elements that maycause electro-chemical reactions inside themodule. Therefore, new designs usually

Figure1: ImprovedHiPak 2 module

Figure 2: Old HiPak 2 module after destructive short-circuit test (left) and improved HiPak 2 module after same test

ABB Feature_Cover Story_Layout 1 24/07/2013 14:12

www.abb.com/semiconductors POWER MODULES 25


hold back from using epoxy. With the help of a new housing material

together with a reliable epoxy-less packagedesign, the case temperature range for theimproved HiPak is increased from -40°Cto 125°C now from -50°C to 150°C.Moreover, the improved package nowcomplies with the latest fire and smokerequirements that are needed for tractionapplications: NFF 16-101/102 I3 – F2 andCEN TS 45545 HL2 cat. R23. The epoxy-less module is designed such that allelectric potentials are internally separatedby gel and/or the housing. The mechanicalrobustness is guaranteed by a balanceddistribution of the external mechanical loadon all supporting parts. This measure alsoresults in less damaging explosionbehavior of the overall module. Figure 2show a standard HiPak module (left)versus an improved one (right) after thedestructive short circuit test. Both moduleswere exposed to exactly the sameelectrical overstress. It can clearly be seenthat the improved module is less fractured.

Improved internal auxiliaryconnectionInternally, the formerly soldered auxiliaryconnections between gate-print andsubstrate are replaced by standard bondedaluminum wires. This well establishedtechnology allows for higher reliability andoffers a redundant double wire connection(Figure 3). For an optimal bondingprocess, the supporting structure of thegate-print was redesigned, bringing amaximum stiffness and stability to thegate-print. The main advantage of thebonded connection is the in-line processcontrol of the bond-joint quality by thebonding tool which measures the bond-foot deformation and thus can detect non-conformance. The soldering process onthe other hand only allows a post processquality control which is usually anautomated visual inspection. Neverthelesssuch a post process control does notguarantee a 100 % accurate inspection forinstance of cold solder joints. In addition,the new design allows for a more stablegate-print assembly, improving the overallmechanical reliability of the module.

Improved power terminalsTo improve the temperature cyclingperformance and the process reliability ofthe soldered terminal connection, animproved solder foot was designed for themain terminals. Specifically designedspacers guarantee a homogenous solderlayer thickness. A similar concept withspacers was already successfullyintroduced a couple of years ago forsoldering the substrate to the baseplate. Inaddition, the main terminal foot size and

shape are designed in order to allow for anice and reproducible solder meniscus(Figure 4). Moreover, the coating of theterminal has been changed. Meticulousanalyses of the intermetallic layer have ledto the conclusion, not to use nickel platedterminal feet. Nickel can lead to microcavities in the intermetallic phase, resultingin a more sensitive solder interface withrespect to cracking or delamination.

Improved wire-bondingTo improve the power cycling capability theemitter side wire-bonding parameters havebeen improved and optimized by usingthe latest in-process control optionsoffered by new bonder generations. Inaddition, so called stich-bonds (Figure 5)

are used. This design is a trade-offbetween utility (better fatigue behavior)and the needed bond area. The result is aboosted power cycling capability of about afactor 4 (Figure 6). The targeted 10 %capability is 2 million cycles for T = 60 Kand at Tvj, max = 150°C. Our actualachievement indicates even better results.

Many small improvementsBesides the main technological and designimprovements, many small improvementshave been realized to ensure both, areliable and producible fabrication process.Boosting the overall quality of ourfabrication processes we achieved a majoroverall module quality increase. Some ofthese small improvements are for example

Figure 3: Improvedauxiliary connection

Figure 4: Improvedmain terminal foot

Figure 5: Improvedwire-bonding layout


26 POWER MODULES www.abb.com/semiconductors


the solder-stop-free substrates allowing fora cleaner soldering process, the improvedgate-print contact metallization for a betterauxiliary terminal lead-free solderingprocess and a reliable bonding connection.

Qualification of the improvedplatformThe qualification of the improved HiPakplatform is on-going and close tocompletion. Of course, all the relevant testsare performed. These include shock andvibration, temperature cycling, power

cycling and temperature humidity bias. Allincorporated technologies and designelements have successfully passed theverification tests and the final productalready passed most of the qualificationtests. The results are better or at leastequal for every test compared to thecurrent package.

The roll out will start with the 3300 V1500 A HiPak2 SPT+ module and will befollowed by the 1700 V SPT+ modules. In afirst step, all low-voltage housings (E, Nand M) will be replaced. In a second step,

the improvements will be made availablefor the high-voltage housings (G, J and P).The roll out of the first module type willstart in the third quarter 2013.

ConclusionIn the scope of improving the overallreliability performance of the HiPakmodule platform, ABB has developed animproved package based on well-knownand established technologies. This packagesatisfies the increased reliabilityexpectations without changing theelectrical and thermal behavior, thusallowing the costumer for a one-to-onereplacement without any need forrequalification. This concept of improvingwell established processes and designelements and roll out on an existingproduct platform proves that substantialquality and reliability gain can be achievedwithout the need for the customer to redoa costly and time consuming design-in.

Figure 6: Improved power cycling capability


Power Electronics

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www.vincotech.com SOLAR POWER 27


As the solar market matures, electronic power designers are faced with new challenges in inverter designs.The older less efficient two level designs will simply not meet next generation requirements, nor competesuccessfully in the marketplace. Increasing the efficiency and using a higher switching frequency isbecoming the norm. To add to the complexity, customers are also requesting a higher DC input voltage tothe inverter. Mark Steinmetz, Field Applications Engineer, Vincotech, Unterhaching, Germany

Many customers are looking at ways toreduce overall systems cost, not only in theinverter, but the number of panels andconnections used. By increasing the panelarray voltage to the system, it lowers thetotal DC current while increasing the ratedpower for solar inverter. This can result insignificantly lower costs for the DCinfrastructure as well as the overall balanceof system costs. Since the power of thesolar inverter system is limited mainly bythe current, the power can be substantiallyincreased by increasing the operatingvoltage, resulting in additional cost savings.This system configuration simplifies the

inverter design since a DC boost is notrequired, lowering the cost to the inverter.That’s why the panel and inverter voltageis set to increase to 1000 V and even1500 V [1, 2].

The focus on the technological side ofthe inverter market has been to increaseefficiencies up to 98 % or higher, that’sbecoming increasingly important toengineering, procurement and constructionfirms (EPCs) as they’re looking to priceprojects [3]. Efficiencies are improving fortwo main reasons - the powersemiconductor components and thetopologies of inverter have gotten better,leading to overall improvements in invertertechnology. The race is on for higherinverter efficiencies, voltages, controls andstandards [4].

As the market changes from a lowerefficiency of 95 % to a goal of 99 % using

increasing panel voltage, inverter designersmust look into innovative ways to achievethis while keeping costs in check. ThusVincotech has introduced several newpower modules that address increasedefficiency at high power ranges.

The parallel switch – a cost effectivesolutionThe next generation inverter designs nowuse a three-level Neutral Point Converter(NPC) approach. This topology is aproven and reliable design approach whichhas been used by UPS manufactures. Itsadvantages have also been published in anumber of white papers. The outerswitches are primarily MOSFETS, neededfor their high switching characteristics.Low saturation IGBTs are selected for theinner switches, which switch at line speed.This switch combination is well suited in

Figure 1: The Parallel Switch is realized byreplacing the reverse recovery diode with asmaller standard MOSFET than rated IGBT

Parallel Switch IncreasesEfficiency of Power Module for PV Inverters

Figure 2: Example ofdriver with separategate control forMOSFET

Figure 3: Single Gatecontrol using asimple circuit with afixed delay

Vincotech_Feature_Layout 1 24/07/2013 14:19

28 SOLAR POWER www.vincotech.com


low to medium low power rated inverters– 5 kW to 15 kW. However, as the size in the inverter is

increased (i.e. above 15 kW), the MOSFETstarts to lose its benefits due to its on-resistance (RDSON). Thus, an IGBT withgood high switching frequencycharacteristics such as FairchildSemiconductor’s FGL40N120ANDT is nowselected. Although a good alternative, thistoo has its limitations. The losses andoverall efficiency starts to fall off at higherfrequencies. As the cost of copper hassignificantly increased affecting inductorsand filters, along with the higher cost ofelectrolytic capacitors, designers arelooking to use higher switching frequenciesto reduce these components in size andthe number used. To address this higher frequency

requirement, Vincotech has developed anovel switch – the Parallel Switch (seeFigure 1). By replacing the reverserecovery diode with a smaller standardMOSFET than rated IGBT, the overallswitching losses (both on and off) arefurther reduced to the IGBT. In addition,

the Parallel Switch also aids in efficiency inlight through high load ranges.

Gate controlThe designer must take into account therelationship between turning on and offthe MOSFET in conjunction with the IGBT.Since the MOSFET switches faster than theIGBT, it must be turned on before the IGBTand then delayed in turning it off after theIGBT. Typically, this is in the range of 100ns to 200 ns. The following solutions areexamples to accomplish this:1. Separate gate signals by twoindependent drivers. This allows thedesigner to fine tune the Parallel Switchin an optimum fashion while reducingcomplexity and design time.

2. Driver with separate gate control forMOSFET. This will allow the designer tocontrol the operation between the twoswitches. Figure 2 is an example of thistype of circuit.

3. Single Gate control using a simple circuitwith a fixed delay. If the designer candetermine the best delay between thetwo switches, he can implement this ina discrete fashion. Figure 3 is a typicalcircuit to accomplish this.This topology has been implemented in

several standard NPC modules including

FZ-P96706NPA045FP – 1200 V (600 V x2), 50 A, reactive power rated andFZ06NPA070FP01-P969 – 1200 V (600 Vx 2), 70 A, reactive power rated.

Efficiency at higher voltagesThe Parallel Switch concept can be furtherextended by using 1200 V components.Although 1200V components have higherlosses in comparison to 600 V rated types,using a small Silicon Carbide MOSFET inparallel with the IGBT increases theswitching efficiency of the outer switches.Selecting two 1200 V low saturation IGBT’sfor the inner switches, the stack now canwithstand high voltage inputs (> 1500 V).This is a much lower cost solution versususing larger Silicon Carbide MOSFETS inthe buck switch section. Using Vincotech’sflowSOL simulator along with its highlyaccurate database of components, theefficiency for this advanced technology athigher switching speeds can be increasedto 98.7 % and higher (see Table 1).Although the switching frequencyincreases, the total efficiency of themodule remains practically the same from12 kHz (98.78 %) to 20 kHz (98.711 %).Vincotech is addressing the need to

increase efficiency at a high power range –Mixed Neutral Point Converter -

Table 1: Efficienciesof the Parallel Switchat higher switchingspeeds

Figure 4: Single-phase Mixed Neutral Point Converter

Figure 5: Integrated three-phase Mixed Neutral Point Converter


www.vincotech.com SOLAR POWER 29


flowMNPC4w, i.e. “Wide Body.” Thesenew lines of modules offer the benefits of[5] high efficiency (>99 % at 8 kHz),supports up to 250 kW output power,reducing output filter sizes and losses by>50 %, reduced electromagnet noise by>50 %, and feature low inductance (typ5nH), allowing switching frequencies of 20

kHZ or higher. This new line of advanced topology

modules offer the designer a wide rangeof both power and configurations includingboth single phase (Figure 4) andintegrated three-phase types (Figure 5):Single Phase (1X flowscrew4w) [6]

include the types

Figure 6: High Voltage module capable of 2400 V at 400 A

70-212NMA300SCM208P (1200V/300A),70-212NMA400SCM209P (1200V/400A),and 70-212NMA600SCM200P (1200V/600A).The unique packaging design used in

these modules offer a low inductiveinterface for integration into a three phasesystem while allowing a flexible assemblyfor better thermal spreading [7]. Three-phase can be realized (3X flowscrew4w)offering the designer an integratedapproach with a high power screwinterface. In addition to this product line,Vincotech is also introducing an Ultra FastHigh Voltage module 70-W624N3A320SH-M400F capable of 2400V at 400 A, i.e. 260 kVA, (see Figure 6). Utilizing Vincotech’s packaging

technology (Figure 7) – a very lowinductance (5 nH) complete 3-phaseinverter power module offers the designerflexibility, ease of use, less design time,and tested reliability.

Literature [1, 2., 3., 4] Bushong, Steven. “The

State of the Solar Inverter: Full SpeedAhead.” Solar Power World online,October 12, 2012

[5., 6., 7] Frisch, Michael. “ProductOverview and Roadmap, NPC.”November 14, 2011

Figure 7: Very lowinductance complete3-phase inverterpower module


Power Electronics Europe

subscribe today at:

www.power-mag.com


30 PRODUCT UPDATE


Miles-Platts, the premier manufacturer of precision plastic injected coilbobbins and technical moldings, has recently launched a new concept inbobbin technology which combines the availability of standard-off-the-shelfproduct with the flexibility of custom options. Available through DexterMagnetic Technologies, the Miles-Platts modular single phase EI 3”lamination bobbin is the latest in thermoplastic coil bobbin design. Sold astwo units, bobbin combinations are available in nine standard sizes allowingdesign engineers to choose stack heights ranging from 2.00 inches to 6.00inches in 1⁄2” increments. Tongue and groove construction around the joinlines facilitate easy bobbin assembly and provides extended creepagedistances. Available as standard in Zytel or Rynite to meet Class F 155c orClass N 200c insulation systems. Other engineering polymers available onrequest.

The EI 3” Modular Bobbin Range offers a robust design for large wiregauges and winding. Further details can be found at www.dextermag.com orby downloading the datasheet at:

www.dextermag.com/upload/Dexter_Miles-Platts_ Modular-Bobbin-Range_2013.pdf

EI 3” Modular Bobbin Range

1 MHz Buck Converter GaNDemonstration Board

Semikron’s MiniSKiiP is now available for power ranges up to 90 kW. Theportfolio of the new MiniSKiiP Dual covers 150-300 A/650 V, 150-300A/1200 V and 100-200 A/1700 V. Thus Spring Technology is available forpower ratings higher than 40 kW. The benefits: lower material costs ascompared to traditional inverter designs because the expensive bus-baring of the load connectors can be replaced by a cost-efficient PCBconnection. The spring contacts make the layout of the PCB simpler andmore flexible because the PCB does not need holes for soldering pins.Also, the springs allow for a more flexible connection between the PCBand the module than a soldered joint, which adds extra benefitsparticularly under thermal and mechanical stress. The MiniSKiiP Dual’soutput of up to 90 kW requires higher current-carrying capability of thePCB, which e. g. can be achieved by using a 210 µm standard metalcoating on the PCB. This allows for load currents up to 180 A RMS, whichused to be reserved for modules with screw mounted busbars.

www.semikron.com

MiniSKiiP Dual ModuleRanges Up to 90 kW

EPC’s EPC9107 is a fully functional buck power conversiondemonstration circuit featuring 9 -28 V input to 3.3 V, 15 Amaximum output current. It uses the EPC2015 eGaN FET inconjunction with the TI LM5113 100 V half-bridge gate driver. TheEPC9107 demonstrates the reduced size and performancecapabilities of high switching frequency eGaN FETs whencoupled with this dedicated eGaN driver. The complete powerstage including eGaN FETs, driver, inductor and input/outputcaps comes in 0.5” 0.5” layout. To assist the design engineer,the EPC9107 demonstration board is easy to set up and containsvarious probe points to facilitate simple waveform measurementand efficiency calculation.

www.epc-co.com

Product Pages_Layout 1 24/07/2013 14:23

PRODUCT UPDATE 31

Enhanced Gate MOSFETs

Vishay added 650 V power MOSFETs to its E Series family of devices.These 22 new devices in eight different packages offer an extended on-resistance range from 30 mΩ to 600 mΩ at 10 V and broaden themaximum current ratings from 6 A to 105 A. Based on Siliconix’Superjunction Technology, the 650 V E Series MOSFETs offer extendedheadroom for applications that require additional input-voltage safetymargin such as renewable energies, industrial, lighting,telecommunications, consumer, and computing. On-resistance varies bytype from 600 to 30 mΩ and gate charge from 21 to 405 nCresepectively.

www.vishay.com

650 V/105 A Power MOSFETs

KEMET offers new radial through hole ceramicsafety disc capacitors. Safety Certified Capacitorsare classified as either X and/or Y capacitors.Class X capacitors are primarily used in line-to-line (across-the-line) applications. In this

application there is no danger of electric shock to humans should the capacitorfail, but could result in a risk of fire. The class Y capacitor is primarily used inline-to-ground (line by-pass) applications. In this application, failure of thecapacitor could lead to danger of electric shock. Typical applications includealternative energy, industrial/lighting, medical, and telecommunications. These900 Series ceramic disc capacitors are specifically designed for interference-suppression in AC- line filtering applications. Having internationally recognizedsafety certifications, they are well-suited for applications that require keepingpotentially disruptive or damaging line transients and EMI out of susceptibleequipment. They are also a solution for suppressing line disturbances inmotors, relays and switching power supplies.

www.kemet.com

Safety DiscCapacitors

ST’s new STripFET™ VII DeepGATE™ MOSFETs are available for 80 and 100 Vbreakdown voltage. They feature an enhanced MOSFET gate structure, whichlowers on-resistance while also reducing internal capacitances and gatecharge. The devices also have high avalanche ruggedness to survive potentiallydamaging hard conditions, which makes them a strong choice for automotiveapplications. STripFET VII DeepGATE technology is suited for systems operatingat DC voltages such as 48V, which is widely used in telecom applications;devices with 80 V or 100 V rating have adequate ‘safety margin’ to withstandtypical over-voltage surges in a 48 V system and are also chosen for highlyrugged performance in 12 V or 24 V automotive applications. Othertechnologies, such as Mdmesh Superjunction, are needed for higher voltageratings such as 600 or 650 V. MDmesh devices provide suitable safety marginfor applications such as AC/DC power supplies, lighting ballasts and displaypanels. ST recently announced a new high-efficiency MDmesh family featuringlow gate charge for use in resonant converters.

www.st.com/pmos


powermodules.danfoss.com

Be certain you have the coolest solution in power electronicsIt cannot be stressed enough: e cient cooling is the most important feature in power modules. Danfoss Silicon Power’s cutting-edge ShowerPower® solution is designed to secure an even cooling across base plates, o ering extended lifetime at no increase in costs. All our modules are customized to meet the exact requirements of the application. In short, when you choose Danfoss Silicon Power as your supplier you choose a thoroughly tested solution with unsurpassed power density.

Please go to powermodules.danfoss.com for more information.

MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE

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AC/DC Connverters

www.irf.comInternational Rectifier Co. (GB) LtdTel: +44 (0)1737 227200

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Harmonic Filters

www.murata-europe.comMurata Electronics (UK) LtdTel: +44 (0)1252 811666

Direct Bonded Copper (DPC Substrates)

www.curamik.co.ukcuramik electronics GmbHTel: +49 9645 9222 0


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www.productapprovals.co.ukProduct Approvals LtdTel: +44 (0)1588 620192

www.proton-electrotex.com/ Proton-Electrotex JSC/Tel: +7 4862 440642;

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www.ar-europe.ieAR EuropeTel: 353-61-504300



www.universal-science.comUniversal Science LtdTel: +44 (0)1908 222211

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improved hipak modules for power electronic applications · alone in the area of industrial liion...

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