Its new 1200V SiC MOSFETs have been optimised to combine reliability with performance, operating with ‘benchmark’ dynamic losses an order of magnitude less than 1200V silicon IGBTs. Initially, the technology will support system improvements in applications such as photovoltaic inverters, uninterruptible power supplies or charger/storage systems, but later developments will address industrial drives.
The MOSFETs are compatible with the +15/-5V supplies typically used to drive IGBTs. They feature a threshold voltage rating of 4V with the short-circuit robustness required by the target applications, along with fully controllable dv/dt characteristics. Key benefits over Si IGBTs include temperature independent switching losses.
Infineon says the new MOSFETs are based on a leading trench semiconductor process and represent the latest evolution of its CoolSiC technologies. The family includes Schottky diodes and 1200V J-FET devicesk, as well as a range of hybrid solutions that integrate a Si IGBT and SiC diode in a module.
The first discrete 1200V CoolSiC MOSFETs feature an RDS(ON) of 45mO and will be available in 3- and 4pin TO-247 packages. The 4pin package incorporates an additional connection to the source, which is used as a reference potential for the gate driving voltage. By eliminating the effect of voltage drops due to source inductance, this further reduces switching losses, especially at higher switching frequencies.
Devices sample this year, with volume production planned for 2017.
