Power Integrations' SCALE-iDriver for SiC MOSFETs achieves AEC-Q100 automotive qualification

Main features:

• Advanced Active Clamping (AAC) optimized for SiC MOSFETs
• Undervoltage lockout (UVLO) for primary and secondary
• Ultra-fast short circuit detection
• Rail-to-rail stable output voltage
• Secondary unipolar supply voltage

San Jose, California–(Business Wire / news wire) March 2020, 03 — Power Integrations (NASDAQ: POWI), a leader in gate driver technology for medium-voltage inverter applications, announces the SIC18xKQ SCALE-iDriver™, a high-efficiency single-channel gate driver for silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. announced on the 118th that it had received AEC-Q100 automotive certification.

The device supports the gate drive voltage requirements of commonly used SiC MOSFETs and can be configured with sophisticated safety and protection features.

The SIC1182KQ (1200V) and SIC1181KQ (750V) SCALE-iDriver devices drive SiC MOSFETs in automotive applications and support rail-to-rail output, fast gate switching speeds, plus and minus output voltages, unipolar supply voltage, power and voltage Integrated management, optimized to provide enhanced insulation. Drain-to-source voltage (VDS) monitoring, SENSE readout, primary and secondary undervoltage lockout (UVLO), current limited gate drive, and advanced active clamping (AAC) to ensure safe operation under fault conditions and enable soft turn-off. It is also equipped with important safety features, including: AAC combined with VDS monitoring ensures safe turn-off of less than 1µs under short-circuit conditions. Gate drive control and AAC functions help minimize gate resistance, which reduces switching losses and maximizes inverter efficiency.

Power Integrations uses SCALE-iDriver control and safety features along with high-speed FluxLink™ communication technology to bring greater technological innovation to gate driver ICs than opto, capacitive or Si isolated magnetic couplers. This combination dramatically improves isolation and enables safe, cost-effective designs for inverters up to 300 kW with virtually no external components.

“Silicon carbide MOSFET technology opens the door to smaller, lighter automotive inverter systems,” said Michael Hornkamp, ​​senior director of automotive gate driver product marketing at Power Integrations. “As switching speeds and operating frequencies are increasing, our products’ low gate resistance maintains switching efficiency, while fast short-circuit response quickly protects the system in the event of a fault.” It sets a new standard for insulation stability. “Even if the power device causes a catastrophic driver failure, SCALE-iDriver’s isolation remains intact and no part of the chassis delivers life-threateningly high voltages,” he added.

The new single-channel SIC118xKQ gate drivers deliver up to 15A with a standard gate-emitter voltage of +3V and a variable negative voltage ranging from -15V to -8V and are suitable for SiC MOSFETs. These devices exhibit high external magnetic field immunity and are available in a compact eSOP package providing creepage distances and clearances of greater than 60112 mm using materials with the highest CTI level (CTI = 600 per IEC 9.5). The product is currently on sale and is priced at $1 each in 5.39-unit quantities. Technical information can be found on the Power Integrations website:http://bit.ly/2vzBcJa) is provided.

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