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ifc_PEE_2010_ifc_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 14:07 Page 1

CONTENTS

Power Electronics Europe Issue 5 2010 www.power-mag.com

3

Editor Achim Scharf

Tel: +49 (0)892865 9794

Fax: +49 (0)892800 132

Email: [email protected]

Production Editor Chris Davis

Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340

Financial Clare Jackson

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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, Cape House, 60a Priory Road, Tonbridge,Kent TN9 2BL Great Britain. Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340. Fax: +44 (0)1732360034. Refunds on cancelled subscriptions willonly be provided at the Publisher’s discretion, unlessspecifically guaranteed within the terms ofsubscription 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

Next Generation High Performance BIGT Modules

BIGT

BIGT

IGBT

IGBT

DIODE

PAGE 17

Highly Efficient 3-Level Solutions forRenewable Energy ApplicationsEnergy efficiency is one of the major criteria for photovoltaic (PV) and wind power

inverters. The 3-level inverter topology proves to be one of the most attractive

candidates for low and medium power, low voltage applications which require

high switching frequencies, complex filtering and high efficiency.

The same advantages can be seen for Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)

which are connected and loaded 24/7. A new line of single modules which

contain a full phase leg for a 3-level converter covers a wide power range from

4kW to 120kW. These modules combined with the latest and especially adapted

semiconductor chip technology simplify the design of compact and efficient 3-

level inverters. Marc Buschkühle, Infineon Technologies AG, Warstein,

Germany

PAGE 26

Integrated Gate Driver Circuit SolutionsPower electronics systems are commonly used in motor drive, power supply and

power conversion applications. They cover a wide output power spectrum: from

several hundred watts in small drives up to megawatts in wind-power installations

or large drive systems. Inside the system the gate driver circuit with its extensive

control and monitoring functions forms the interface between the microcontroller

and the power switches (IGBT). This article provides an overview of different gate

driver topologies for different power ranges and shows examples for monolithic

integration of the driver functionality. R. Herzer, J. Lehmann, M. Rossberg, B.

Vogler, SEMIKRON Elektronik, Nuremberg, Germany

PAGE 32

Power Modules for Motor Control ApplicationsFor applications in power electronics where significant power needs to be handled

in confined spaces, often the choice for packaging is not a set of discrete power

components, but a dedicated power module. For that purpose CoolPAK realizes

an insert-molded shell which has an integrated metal lead-frame array. These

lead-frames also present horizontal areas for housing bare die components as

well as forming out the terminals for the outside contacts. Jim Tompkins and

Peter Sommerfeld, Electronic Motion Systems Canada and Germany

PAGE 35

USB Compliance in Wireless Modem DesignWith USB being a standard interface in PC peripherals, the number of applications

that can be powered from a USB port is increasing at an exponential rate. The

need for flexibility and continuous connectivity in our lives is becoming more

important. In a growing wireless world, many applications are taking portable form

allowing users the ease and flexibility of connecting to the web anywhere. With all

the benefits this brings, there are a number of extra requirements that need to be

taken into account when designing a device that is powered from a USB port.

John Constantopoulos, Systems Engineer, WW Low Power DC/DC, Texas

Instruments, USA

PAGE 38

Product Update A digest of the latest innovations and new product launches

PAGE 41

Website Product Locator

Next Generation HighPerformance BIGT HiPakModulesIn this article, ABB continues to report on the progressachieved towards the practical realization of a reverseconducting IGBT device concept referred to here asthe Bimode Insulated Gate Transistor (BIGT). Theintroduction of the BIGT technology in the 3300VHiPak module line-up with current ratings exceeding2000A is presented. Static and dynamic results areprovided with the associated relevant parameters,outlining the basic performance levels that will beexpected from the new technology. Other aspects arealso covered with regards to the device SOA capability,softness and reliability performance up to a junctiontemperature of 150°C. In addition, the BIGTperformance under hard switching frequency operationwill be presented for the first time. Full story on page 22

Cover supplied by ABB Semiconductors Switzerland

COVER STORY

PAGE 6

Market NewsPEE looks at the latest Market News and company

developments

PAGE 12

Market News: RenewableEnergies on the Rise A total of 27.5 GW of new power capacity wasconstructed in the EU last year. Out of this, 10.2 GW(38%) was wind power and 2.4 GW (8.7%)photovoltaics. For the second year in a row, windenergy is the leading electricity generationtechnology in Europe and the renewable share ofnew power installations was 62% in 2009.

p03 Contents_p03 Contents 29/07/2010 09:33

www.mitsubishichips.com [email protected]

World's Most Powerful

1700V Dual IGBT Modulefor High Power

Energy Conversion

World's Most Powerful

1700V Dual IGBT Modulefor High Power

Energy Conversion

04_PEE_0510_04_PEE_0510 28/07/2010 15:37 Page 1

OPINION 5

Power Electronics Europe Issue 5 2010 www.power-mag.com

A suitablequote as alead in to

the editorsopinion

According to the Joint Research Center of the EuropeanCommission a total of 27.5 GW of new electrical power capacity wasinstalled in the EU last year. Out of this, 10.2 GW was wind power5.8 GW (21%) and 2.4 GW (8.7%) photovoltaics. For the secondyear in a row, wind energy is the leading electricity generationtechnology in Europe and the renewable share of new powerinstallations was 62% in 2009. The growth scenario for Europe,based on the 2001 to 2009 growth rate predicts, that more than 22TWh of electricity could be generated in 2010. This would be about0.7% of the EU 27 total net production of electricity of 3,042 TWhin 2009. Wind energy is already the number one in newly installedcapacities in Europe. With more than 74 GW of cumulative installedcapacity in 2009, it exceeded the target of 40 GW by more than80%. The new target of the European Wind Association is aiming at230 GW installed capacity (40 GW offshore) in 2020 capable ofproviding about 20% of European electricity demand.Renewable energies directly push power electronics development.

In example, Semikron, PCS Power Converter Solutions and theTechnical University of Dresden are partnering in the researchproject “More efficient use of regenerative energies with multi leveltopologies - EEMT”, a project which will receive around € 1.2million in backing from the German Ministry for Education andResearch (BMBF). The project is to run over a period of three years,ending in March 2013. The aim of the project is to developinnovative inverter technology to boost efficiency in the utilisation ofpower gained from renewable sources. As part of the EEMT project,an innovative inverter is to be developed to convert the DCgenerated by wind turbines or solar cells into AC that can then befed into the grid. Conventional inverters need filter circuits to meetthe minimum quality requirements for the power to be fed into thegrid. The problem is, however, that these filter circuits are notparticularly efficient, meaning some of the energy generated is lost.The multilevel topology circuit developed within the EEMT project isintended for use with such power inverters, with the aim of reducingfiltering requirements substantially. The new circuit topology will also

help reduce losses in the power lines to a minimum, boostingoverall energy efficiency of the power generation unit. In terms oftechnology, such modules are more complex than the conventionalinverter modules used today; in financial terms, however, the use ofthe new inverter modules offers very interesting prospects as aresult of the increase in efficiency that they bring about.Energy efficiency is one of the most critical aspects of today’s

information society. Reducing energy consumption of electronicdevices, circuits and systems, coupled with improving energygeneration, conversion, storage and management capabilitiesrepresent the biggest challenges that engineers and scientistsoperating in the electronics sector face in the next decade. Thus thethree-year ENIAC (European Nanoelectronics Initiative AdvisoryCouncil) project is designed to enhance the competitiveness ofEurope’s semiconductor and electronics equipment companies indeveloping new products and technologies that are at the forefrontof energy efficiency. Renewable energies are also in the focus of EPE-PEMC

Conference 2010 (6-8 September) in Ohrid, Republic ofMacedonia. The special motto “Power Electronics and MotionControl for more efficient world” should contribute to enhance theuse of energy conversion and conditioning technologies (ECCT).Next to the improved operation of systems, the reduction of energyconsumption and the improvement of efficiency are the key factors,helping to achieve the Kyoto requirements and to address basicissues related to the reduction of greenhouse gases and pollutantemissions in industrial processes and transport, to increase the useof renewable energy sources and to allow their integration in thegrid. Most of the electricity production, based on alternative energysources undergo conditioning through ECCT equipment before use.ECCT is also a major means to achieve enhanced competitivenessof all industrial processes. Basic ECCT alone constitute a worldmarket estimated at multi-billion Euros value, of which the EU has a40% share. Significantly ECCT is a core enabling technologyproviding the central electrical, control, diagnostic and managementsystems. Accordingly, the three keynotes of this conference areentitled “Power Electronics and control for renewable energysystems”, “Power quality challenges for flexible intelligent networkoperating under high penetration of distributed resources”, and“Role of Green Electronics in a Non-Carbonated Society toward2030”. Thus Green is the colour of choice for most power electronic

manufacturers. They pave the way for a more energy-efficient world,of course in their own interest. Enjoy reading this issue.

Achim ScharfPEE Editor

RenewableEnergies PushPower Electronics

05_PEE_0510_p05 Opinion 28/07/2010 11:34

6 MARKET NEWS

Issue 5 2010 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com

European Research Project Aimsfor Greener ElectronicsThe three-year ENIAC (EuropeanNanoelectronics Initiative AdvisoryCouncil) project is designed toenhance the competitiveness ofEurope’s semiconductor andelectronics equipment companies indeveloping new products andtechnologies that are at the forefrontof energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is one of themost critical aspects of today’sinformation society. Reducing energyconsumption of electronic devices,circuits and systems, coupled withimproving energy generation,conversion, storage and managementcapabilities represent the biggestchallenges that engineers andscientists operating in the electronicssector face in the next decade.

The END project will pursue theenergy efficiency objective throughan innovative holistic approach that

unifies, under a common designplatform, the development ofmodeling, simulation, design andEDA techniques for a wide range ofdevices and systems (digital blocks,analog/RF blocks, discretecomponents). The project will alsoaddress the conception andexperimentation of new powersupply systems, with particularemphasis on energy managementaspects. This mission enables asynergic approach to energy-awaredesign, offering a comprehensive setof solutions covering the manydifferent facets of the complexproblem of accounting for energyeffects during the design ofheterogeneous circuits and systems,such as those that will be hosted bythe electronic products of the future.

END brings together the expertiseof user companies (IDMs, fabless),

design centers, universities andinstitutes in a range of projects thatwill establish standards andcontribute to building a solid energy-aware electronics design base forEurope. In particular, the projectgoals include the development ofpower models for non-bulk CMOSdevices, a unified low-power designmethodology for heterogeneoussystems and SoC (System-on-Chip)devices, energy-efficient buildingblocks for heterogeneous systems,energy-efficient IP components forSoCs, energy management ofsystems based on multiple,heterogeneous supplies, anddemonstrators of solar energy andwireless sensor systems.

The project will cost approximately12.6 million Euros, with fundingprovided by both the ENIAC JU (JointUndertaking) and from the public

authorities of Belgium, Greece, Italyand Slovakia. The ENIAC JU is apublic-private partnership with theEuropean Commission, MemberStates, Associated States andEuropean R&D actors and leversprivate and national investments. “Theultimate objective of the END projectis to bring innovative energy-awaredesign solutions and EDA technologiesinto the product development of theindustrial partners of the Consortium.We will enable the design andmanufacture of electronic circuits thatwill be at the basis of the greeninformation society of the future”,commented Salvatore Rinaudo, ENDproject coordinator and CAD R&DDirector at STMicroelectronics. Otherindustrial project partners include NXPand On Semiconductor.

www.eniac.eu

At Intersolar STMicroelectronics hasunveiled an IC to combine importantpower-optimization and power-conversion functions for solargenerators, allowing multi-panelarrays to deliver more energy at alower cost per watt.

ST’s new SPV1020 chip allowsMaximum Power-Point Tracking(MPPT) to be applied individually foreach panel. MPPT automaticallyadjusts a solar generator’s outputcircuitry to compensate for powerfluctuations resulting from varyingsolar intensity, shadowing,temperature change, panelmismatch, or ageing. Without MPPT,the power from a solar panel can fallby 10% to 20% if even a smallpercentage of its surface is inshadow. This

disproportionate decrease mayrestrict the choice of site or force theuse of a smaller array to avoidshadows. The SPV1020 enablesDistributed MPPT (DMPPT), whichcompensates each panel individually,

in contrast to a centralized MPPTscheme that applies a ‘best-fit’compensation to all the panels in thearray. DMPPT is the most promisingtechnique to improve the energyproductivity of photovoltaic systemsbecause it maximizes the powerextracted from each panel regardlessof adjacent module performance,even if a module has failed.

Implementing DMPPT usuallyrequires a network of discretecomponents for each panel in anarray. The SPV1020 replaces thisnetwork with a single chip and alsointegrates the DC/DC converter tostep-up the panel’s low-voltage DCoutput to a larger DC voltage fromwhich line-quality AC power isproduced. By integrating MPPT andthe DC/DC converter, the SPV1020simplifies design and reduces partcount, making DMPPT economical

for solar generators across a range ofpower ratings and price points. SThas integrated all of the requiredfunctions in a monolithic chip usinga 0.18-micron BCD8 multi-powerprocess technology. BCD8 holds thekey to combining power and analogfunctions for the DC/DC converteron the same chip as the digital logicperforming the MPPT algorithm. This

technology enables a smaller,more reliable and longer-lastingsolution than an alternative built withdiscrete components. “Maximizing

efficiency and reliability are keyelements to deliver cost-competitivepower from renewable sources,” saidPietro Menniti, General

Manager of ST’s Industrial andPower Conversion Division.

The SPV1020 is available in a 36-pin PowerSSO (PSSO-36) package.Engineering

samples and evaluation kits arealready available. Volume productionis scheduled for November 2010.

www.st.com

Recovering Power Lost due to Solar-Panel Variability

ST’s new SPV1020 enables DistributedMPPT which compensates each solar

panel individually for power fluctuations

Market News 2_Layout 1 28/07/2010 11:38

Lean on me

ABB Switzerland Ltd SemiconductorsTel: +41 58 586 1419 www.abb.com/semiconductors

Power and productivityfor a better world™

Reliablewith HiPak modulesfrom ABB

07_PEE_2010_07_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 13:01 Page 1

For electric, hybrid and battery vehicles

MOSFET inverter: up to 55 kVA

Vbattery: 24V - 160V

IGBT inverter: up to 250 kVA

VDC :150V - 850V

IP67 enclosure

SKAITM

Most compact inverter systems: 20 kVA/l

Australia +61 3-85 61 56 00 Brasil +55 11-41 86 95 00 Cesko +420 37 80 51 400 China +852 34 26 33 66 Deutschland +49 911-65 59-0 España +34 9 36 33 58 90 France +33 1-30 86 80 00 India +91 222 76 28 600 Italia +39 06-9 11 42 41 Japan +81 68 95 13 96 Korea +82 32-3 46 28 30 Mexico +52 55-53 00 11 51 Nederland +31 55-5 29 52 95 Österreich +43 1-58 63 65 80 Polska +48 22-6 15 79 84 Russia +7 38 33 55 58 69 Schweiz +41 44-9 14 13 33 Slovensko +421 3 37 97 03 05 Suid-Afrika +27 12-3 45 60 60 Suomi +358 9-7 74 38 80 Sverige +46 8-59 4768 50 Türkiye +90 21 6-688 32 88 United Kingdom +44 19 92-58 46 77 USA +1 603-8 83 81 02 [email protected] www.semikron.com

3-phase IGBT inverter system up to 250 kVA

08_PEE_2010_08_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 14:24 Page 1

MARKET NEWS 9

TOSHIBA’S COMPACT SUPER JUNCTIONPOWER MOSFETS - LOWEST RDS(ON) x QgAND RUGGED CHIPSToshiba’s innovative new family of DTMOS II power MOSFETs are now available not only witha maximum VDSS rating of 600V but also with 650V. The range makes your solutions moreefficient, thanks to faster switching speed, linked with lowest RDS(ON) x Q(g) performance.

Our compact smart isolation TO220SIS package combined with the copper connectortechnology, have made the new Toshiba DTMOS II MOSFETs hard to resist. And, if youneed higher power, our TO-3P(N) package are available too.

Visit us today at www.toshiba-components.com/power

Texas Instrumentsnames Sami KiriakiSVP of PowerManagement Sami Kiriaki, general managerof the Power Managementdivision in TI’s Analogbusiness, has been elected asenior vice president of thecompany. He will direct allstrategy, product developmentand delivery of TI’s powermanagement chips.

Kiriaki began at TI in 1984 asan analog design engineer.Most recently, he served asvice president and manager ofTI’s Mobile IntegratedSolutions business unit in thecompany’s High-VolumeAnalog and Logic division.There he managed businessstrategy and operations,including product developmentof highly integrated analogapplication-specific productsused in mobile handsets,netbooks and eBook readers,to name a few. He earned hisbachelor’s and master’sdegrees in electricalengineering from theUniversity of Rhode Island. Hehas been a member of theInstitute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers for morethan 20 years, and he has 15US patents in analog integratedcircuit design. “Sami has spent

almost three decades in theAnalog industry and brings tothis job both an engineer’sperspective for chip design,and a business leader’sinsights into global markets”,commented Gregg Lowe,senior vice president of TI’sAnalog business.

www.ti.com

TI’s new SVP Power Management Sami Kiriaki

German Ministry of Education andResearch backs joint research projectbetween Semikron, PCS PowerConverter Solutions and theTechnical University of Dresden onthe optimization of energy efficiencyin wind and solar power modules.

Semikron, PCS Power ConverterSolutions and the TechnicalUniversity of Dresden are partneringin the research project “Moreefficient use of regenerative energieswith multi level topologies - EEMT”, aproject which will receive around €1.2 million in backing from theGerman Ministry for Education andResearch (BMBF). The project is torun over a period of three years,ending in March 2013. The aim ofthe project is to develop innovativeinverter technology to boostefficiency in the utilisation of powergained from renewable sources. Itruns within the framework of the“Power Electronics for ImprovedEnergy Efficiency” initiative, which ispart of the German government’shigh-tech strategy and the “IT andcommunication technology 2020”initiative (ICT 2020). The ICTinitiative focuses, amongst otherthings, on the expansion of the rangeof applications for electronics, withthe purpose of achieving greaterenergy efficiency and reducedpollutant emissions with innovativepower electronic systems.

As part of the EEMT project, aninnovative inverter is to bedeveloped to convert the DC

generated by wind turbines or solarcells into AC that can then be fedinto the grid. Conventional invertersneed filter circuits to meet theminimum quality requirements forthe power to be fed into the grid.The problem is, however, that thesefilter circuits are not particularlyefficient, meaning some of theenergy generated is lost. Themultilevel topology circuit developedwithin the EEMT project is intendedfor use with such power inverters,with the aim of reducing filteringrequirements substantially. The newcircuit topology will also help reducelosses in the power lines to aminimum, boosting overall energyefficiency of the power generationunit. In terms of technology, suchmodules are more complex than theconventional inverter modules usedtoday; in financial terms, however,the use of the new inverter modulesoffers very interesting prospects as aresult of the increase in efficiencythat they bring about.

During the research project, newintelligent integrated invertermodules are to be developed bySemikron for use in an innovativepower converter developed byPower Converter Solutions. Thedriver circuitry and protectivecomponents are to be developed bythe Electrical Engineering Institute’sChair for Power Electronics at theTechnical University of Dresden.

www.bmbf.de, www.semikron.com

Greater Yields fromRenewable EnergySources


10 MARKET NEWS


Power Electronics and Motion Controlare becoming more and more importantas the basis for many industrialprocesses, individual and masstransportation, but also for rational useof the energy as well as environmentalrequirements directed by climatechanges. Due to the new rules publishedby the EC on the electric energyproduction, transport, distribution andinterconnection, the role of PowerElectronics is growing. It is well known that over 50% of the

electric energy production in highlydeveloped countries passes throughelectronic conversion and conditioningequipment. Advances in energyconversion and conditioningtechnologies (ECCT), developing andexploiting new power electronic systems,energy conversion devices and systemcontrol methods, are all fundamentaland crucial to the development of theclean, efficient and sustainabletechnology in the future. Next to theimproved operation of systems, thereduction of energy consumption andthe improvement of efficiency are thekey factors, helping to achieve the Kyotorequirements and to address basicissues related to the reduction ofgreenhouse gases and pollutantemissions in industrial processes and

transport, to increase the use ofrenewable energy sources and to allowtheir integration in the grid. Most of the electricity production,

based on alternative energy sourcesundergo conditioning through ECCTequipment before use. ECCT is also amajor means to achieve enhancedcompetitiveness of all industrialprocesses. Basic ECCT alone constitute aworld market estimated at multi-billionEuros value, of which the EU has a 40%share. Significantly ECCT is a coreenabling technology providing thecentral electrical, control, diagnostic andmanagement systems. EPE-PEMC Conference 2010 (6-8

September) in Ohrid, Republic ofMacedonia, is the 14th of conferenceseries in Europe started in 1970 in thefield of Power Electronics and MotionControl. Following the previoussuccessful conferences, this time EPE-PEMC 2010 will move to South-East ofEurope to narrow the gap not onlybetween the West and the East, but alsobetween the North and the South, and toaccelerate the global integration process.“The main goal of both organizations,EPE-PEMC Council and EPE Association,is to promote and coordinate theexchange and the publication oftechnical, scientific and economic

information in the field of powerelectronics and motion control. One ofthe main objectives of cooperation is theintegration and unification of Europe inthe field of our profession. Therefore inaddition to keynotes, oral and dialogpresentations according to topics, theconference will be joined by tutorials,special sessions, round tables,exhibitions and technical visits”, outlinedCo-Chairman Dushan Boroyevich. Thespecial motto “Power Electronics andMotion Control for more efficient world”should contribute to enhance the use ofECCT. The three keynotes are entitled“Power Electronics and control forrenewable energy systems”, “Powerquality challenges for flexible intelligentnetwork operating under highpenetration of distributed resources”,and “Role of Green Electronics in a Non-Carbonated Society toward 2030”. The EPE - PEMC’2010 in Ohrid is

following EPE - PEMC’2008 inPoznan/Poland which brought togetherabout 500 participants from 60 countries,EPE - PEMC’2006 in Portoro_/Sloveniawith about 500 participants from 45countries and EPE - PEMC’2004conference in Riga/Latvia with over 600professionals from 35 countries.

www.epe-pemc2010.com

EPE-PEMC 2010 Conference in Macedonia

The benefits and challenges ofadvanced multilevel topologiesin various applications will bepresented and discussed in theECPE Workshop “AdvancedMultilevel Converter Systems”,taking place on 28 - 29September 2010 in Västerås,Sweden.In recent years, multilevel

converters have becomestandard practice in the field ofHVDC grids and Medium VoltageDrives. But lower voltageapplications seem to takebenefit from the usage of new

multilevel solutions andtopologies, as well. Theincreasing number of levels evenallows using low voltageMOSFET devices to reach thegoals of energy efficiency andimproved performance. TheNeutral Point Clamped topologywhich started this revolution isnow one of several solutions,but there are alsoimprovements.With this mature technology,

switching higher voltages anddelivering higher power are notthe only benefits, which allow

other fields of application.Improved efficiency is a keyfeature for photovoltaic systemsand uninterruptible powersupplies, reduced harmonicdistortion helps making lighterand more compact onboardsystems, increased apparentswitching frequency andbandwidth allows suppressingelectrolytic capacitors in voltageregulator modules feedingmicroprocessors. Multileveltopologies have changed theworld of power electronics, andthis affects every part of the

design of power converters:control and modulationtechniques, technologicalrequirements, system-orienteddesign and reliability issues.The workshop is chaired by Dr.

T. Meynard (University ofToulouse, ENSEEIHT - LAPLACE),Dr. G. Demetriades (ABBCorporate Research Sweden),and J. Koszescha (ECPE). A labtour at ABB Corporate Researchwill be offered after the end ofthe workshop.

www.ecpe.org

ECPE Workshop AdvancedMultilevel Converter Systems


MARKET NEWS 11

www.power-mag.com Issue 5 2010 Power Electronics Europe

UK-based Enecsys Ltd launched atIntersolar fair in Munich its PV grid-connected micro-inverter for both theEuropean and North Americanmarkets. A solar PV system based onmicro-inverters will have improvedenergy harvest and therefore cut thecost of harvested power by up to20% over the lifetime of theinstallation compared with aconventional system using stringinverters. The micro-inverter have alife expectancy of at least 25 years,matching the life of solar modules towhich they are directly connected. “Agrowing recognition of the economic

and technical benefits of micro-inverter architecture has resulted indemand outstripping supply today”,stated Enecsys CEO Paul Engle.

Its design embodies three keyattributes: a rugged topology, acomponent set based on hightemperature rating and reliability, anda unique patented energy controltechnique. It uses thin film capacitors

instead of less reliable electrolyticcapacitors and eliminates the use ofoptocouplers, which are also knownto have relatively poor reliability.Reliability has been verified throughindustry-standard accelerated life testsincluding temperature cycling toIEC61215, the same methodologyused to evaluate solar PV modules. Itis specified to maintain fullperformance from -40°C to 85°C, andachieves peak efficiency of 94% overthis temperature range. The micro-inverter is equipped with a ZigBeewireless communication system thatconnects to the Internet via a gateway.It provides detailed information on theperformance of each solar module, acapability not available with stringinverters.

The company recently has hiredPaul Garrity to head the continueddevelopment of its micro-inverter.Garrity joins Enecsys after three yearsas VP of Engineering and AdvancedProduct Development at FlexPower (asubsidiary of Flextronics International)in Dallas/Texas and over 20 yearsinternational experience in the powerelectronics industry, havingsuccessfully transferred over 90projects into production whilstworking for major OEM and electronicmanufacturing services companies.Garrity has filed 12 patents related topower conversion technology. “SolarPV is one of the most excitingindustries to be involved with at thistime. The micro-inverter represents aremarkable breakthrough in energyharvest, reliability, and safety that willhave a positive impact on systemeconomics”, Garrity commented.

www.enecsys.com

Solar PV Micro-inverter for European and NorthAmerican Markets

“Micro-inverter demand has lead tooutstripping supply”, stated Enecsys CEOPaul Engle

Enecsys PV micro-inverters comes in 200/240/280W maximum inverter input power

national.com/switcher

Save time.Design with Ease.New SIMPLE SWITCHER® Power ModulesSIMPLE SWITCHER power modules deliver a highlyefficient, all-in-one power solution with superior EMIand thermal performance in an innovative package.

New, Industry-Leading Integrated PackageAn easy-to-use package provides a single copperbottom for superior thermal performance and simplified prototyping and manufacturing.

Excellent EMIIdeal for noise-sensitive applications, the power modules provide excellent radiated EMI performance.

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12 MARKET NEWS


Renewable Energies on the Rise A total of 27.5 GW of new power capacity was constructed in the EU last year. Out of this, 10.2 GW (38%)was wind power and 2.4 GW (8.7%) photovoltaics. For the second year in a row, wind energy is theleading electricity generation technology in Europe and the renewable share of new power installations was62% in 2009.

In Europe solar photovoltaicelectricity generation has againincreased its cumulative installedcapacity by more than 50% to 16GW in 2009 and for 2010installations of up to 10 GW areexpected, according to figurespublished in June by the JointResearch Center of the EuropeanCommission. This would result in acapacity almost 9 times as high aswas foreseen as the target for 2010.

The European PhotovoltaicIndustry Association published theirambitious vision plan for 2020 lastyear. The new target calls for up to12% of the European electricitygenerated with solar photovoltaicelectricity generation, or 380 to 420TWh. The necessary growth ratewould be 36% annually, which ismuch lower than what the industryhas seen in the last eight years.“From an industry point of view thetarget is ambitious, but achievable,however it will need accompanyingmeasures to ensure that theelectricity grid will be able to absorband distribute the generated solarelectricity. This is especiallyimportant, because 12% of totalelectricity from solar photovoltaicstranslates to a cumulative installedPV capacity of 350 GW or close to

60% of the current total Europeanthermal electricity generationcapacity (590 GW in 2008) ormore than 40% of the current totalEuropean electricity generationcapacity (800 GW in 2008).Therefore, efficient transmission andstorage systems, as well as modernsupply and demand management,have to be available to fulfil thisvision”, said principal researcherArnulf Jäger-Waldau.

Production data for the global cellproduction20 in 2009 vary between

10.5 GW and 12 GW. This is againan increase of 40% to 50%compared to 2008. The significantuncertainty in the data for 2009 isdue to difficult market situation,which was characterised by adeclining market environment in thefirst half of 2009 and an exceptionalboom in the second half of 2009.

Since 2000, total PV productionincreased more than 30 fold withannual growth rates between 40%and 80%. The most rapid growth inannual production over the last five

years could be observed in Chinaand Taiwan, which now account forabout 50% of worldwideproduction. By 2015, China couldhave about 31% of the worldwideproduction capacity of 67 GWfollowed by Europe (18%), Taiwan(18%) and Japan (14%).

Photovoltaic trendsAll these ambitious plans to increaseproduction capacities at such a rapidpace depend on the expectationsthat markets will grow accordingly.This however is the biggestuncertainty as can be seen with themarket estimates for 2010 whichvary between 9 GW and 24 GWwith a consensus value in the 11 to12 GW range. In addition mostmarkets are still dependent onpublic support in the form of feed-intariffs, investment subsidies or tax-breaks.

Wafer based silicon solar cells isstill the main technology and hadaround 80% market shares in 2009.Polycrystalline solar cells stilldominate the market (45 to 50%)even if the market shares are slowlydecreasing since 2003. The massivecapacity increases for bothtechnologies are followed by thenecessary capacity expansions for

Expectedworldwide PVproduction 2009with futureplannedproductioncapacity increasesSource: JRC

CumulativephotovoltaicInstallations from2000 to 2009Source: EPIA,Euroobserver, JRC

Market News_Layout 1 28/07/2010 11:45

MARKET NEWS 13


polysilicon raw material.The rapid growth of the PV

industry since 2000 led to thesituation where between 2004 andearly 2008, the demand forpolysilicon outstripped the supplyfrom the semiconductor industry.Prices for purified silicon started torise sharply in 2007 and in 2008prices for polysilicon peaked around500 $/kg and consequently resultedin higher prices for PV modules. Thisextreme price hike triggered amassive capacity expansion, not onlyof established companies, but manynew entrants, as well. In 2009 morethan 90% of total polysilicon for thesemiconductor and photovoltaicindustry was supplied by sevencompanies: Hemlock, WackerChemie, REC, Tokuyama, MEMC,Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. However,it is estimated that now aboutseventy producers are present in themarket.The massive production

expansions as well as the difficulteconomic situation led to decreasedprices throughout 2009 reachingabout 50-55 $/kg on average byyear’s end. Prices are expected tocontinue to drop over the next threeyears, but at a much slower ratelevelling in the 40 to 50 $/kg rangein 2012.More than 150 companies are

involved in the thin-film solar cellproduction process, ranging fromR&D activities to majormanufacturing plants. The first100MW thin-film factories becameoperational in 2007. If all expansionplans are realised in time, thin-filmproduction capacity could be 20 GWor 36% of the total 56 GW in 2012and 23 GW or 34% in 2015 of a

total of 67 GW. The first thin-filmfactories with GW productioncapacity are already underconstruction for various thin-filmtechnologies.2009 was the year of

speculations about a contracting orincreasing photovoltaic market. Thelatest market estimates in spring2010 came as a surprise for mostpeople. The current estimates arebetween 7.1 and 7.8GW, thisrepresents mostly the gridconnected photovoltaic market. Towhat extent the off-grid andconsumer product markets areincluded is not clear. After a slowstart, the markets began to pick uppace in the second quarter, but thereal boom happened in the lastquarter of 2009 when in Germanyalone, according to the GermanFederal Network Agency, 1.46 GWof new capacity were added.The growth scenario for Europe,

based on the 2001 to 2009 growth

rate - taking the Spanish installationsin 2008 as an exception - predicts,that more than 22 TWh of electricitycould be generated in 2010. Thiswould be about 0.7% of the EU 27total net production of electricity of3,042 TWh in 2009.

Wind power trendsWind energy is already the numberone in newly installed capacities inEurope. With more than 74 GW ofcumulative installed capacity in2009, it exceeded the target of 40GW by more than 80%. The newtarget of the European WindAssociation is aiming at 230 GWinstalled capacity (40 GW offshore)in 2020 capable of providing about20% of European electricitydemand.In 2009, 38 GW of new wind

turbine capacity went into operationbringing the world wide totalinstalled wind capacity to 160GW.The United States kept its first place

in overall installed capacity, with35.2GW followed by China (26GW),which for the second year in a rowagain more than doubled its totalinstallations, Germany (25.7GW)and Spain (19.1GW). China morethan doubled its total installations in2008, bringing its overall windcapacity to 12.2GW and movedahead of India with 9.6 MW. Thetotal installed wind capacity at theend of 2009 can produce about340TWh of electricity or 2% of theglobal electricity demand. TheEuropean Union Member Statesadded 10,163MW and reached atotal installed capacity of 74,767MW.Other European countries andTurkey added 418MW, bringing thetotal wind installations in Europeand Turkey to 76,152MW.In 2009, the European Union’s

wind capacity grew by 15.7 %, andcan now produce approximately165TWh of electricity in an averagewind year, equal to 5.5% of the total2009 EU 27 electricity consumption.The German and Spanish marketsstill represent 43% of the EUmarket, but there is a continuoustrend towards more diversification.The general trend shows that the

wind energy sector is broadening itsmarket base and more and morecountries are increasing theinstallation of wind energycapacities. In 2009 a total of 82countries used wind energy on acommercial basis and 49 out ofthem increased their installations inthat year. The European marketaccounted for about 27% of thetotal new capacity, a significantpercentage decrease from the 75%in 2004. In 2009 454MW ofoffshore wind capacity were added

Cumulativeworldwideinstalled windpower capacityfrom 1990 to 2009Source: GWEC,WWEA

Market shares ofwind power

manufacturers2009 (38.1 GWinstallations)Source: JRC


14 MARKET NEWS


increasing the total installedcapacity to almost 2GW or 1.2% ofthe total wind capacity worldwide.

The European Wind EnergyAssociation (EWEA) has increasedits 2020 target from180 GWinstalled capacity in 2020 to 230GW including 40 GW offshore. Thiscumulative installed capacity wouldbe able to produce some 600TWhof electricity or 14 to 18% of theEuropean Union’s expectedelectricity demand in 2020.

Three of the top 10 wind turbinemanufacturers are from thePeople’s Republic of China andthere are more than 70 companies

involved in wind equipmentmanufacturing. So far most of theChinese wind turbines are only soldinside China, but a number ofplayers have already announced toexpand outside China in the future.The major reasons is theovercapacity and fierce competitionwithin the domestic market wherethe total quoted manufacturingcapacity of the leading threecompanies in China exceeds 12GWor more than 90% of the 2009installations.

Up to 50% supply in 2020“It can be concluded that if the

current growth rates of therenewable electricity generationsources can be maintained, up to1,600 TWh (45 - 50%) ofrenewable electricity could begenerated in 2020. With thiscontribution the renewableelectricity industry wouldsignificantly contribute to thefulfilment of the 2020 targets. Butit has to be pointed out that thissignificant contribution of therenewable electricity sector will notcome by itself. Without increasedpolitical support, especially in thefield of fair grid access andregulatory measures to ensure that

the current electricity system istransformed to be capable toabsorb these amounts ofrene wable electricity, thesepredictions will not come about. Inaddition, the different renewableenergy sources will need for thenext decade substantial public R&Dsupport as well as accompanyingmeasures to enlarge the respectivemarkets, as cost reduction andaccelerated implementation willdepend on the production volumeand not on time”, Jäger-Waldaucommented.

http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

PV module shipments increasedfor the fifth consecutive quarterin Q2’10 to 3.7GW, generating$7.1 billion in revenues,according to IMS Research’slatest quarterly report on thesolar cell & module market. Thefirst half of 2010 saw highdemand from major PV markets,particularly Germany whereproposed feed-in-tariff cutsdrove demand to new levels.Solar module shipments areforecast to increase once againin Q3’10 to reach 4.3GW.“In contrast to the first half of

2009, when declining moduleprices and poor economicconditions stalled the market,current market conditions haveled to a huge surge with PVmodule shipments in Q1’10increasing by over 60%compared to the same quarter ofthe previous year”, commentedanalyst, Sam Wilkinson. “PVmodule suppliers areundoubtedly enjoying this surgein demand and results haveimproved significantly. Wepredict that average grossmargins will reach over 30% thisquarter”.First Solar, which currently

enjoys some of the highest grossmargins of PV modulemanufacturers, remained thelargest supplier in Q1’10.However, its share of moduleshipments decreased for the fifthconsecutive quarter and the gapbetween it and its crystallinecompetitors closed further, a

trend that is likely to continuethroughout this year. Whilst IMSResearch predicts that total PVmodule shipments will grow by60% in 2010, shipments ofCadmium Telluride (CdTe)modules (dominated by FirstSolar) are forecast to increase byjust 20% due to limited capacityincreases for the technologyuntil 2011; these results willmean that CdTe’s share ofshipments will decrease fromnearly 11% in 2009 to just over8% in 2010. In contrast, the fivelargest Chinese modulemanufacturers (Suntech, Trina,Yingli, Canadian Solar andSolarfun), all suppliers ofcrystalline technology, continuedto increase their command ofthe market and their combinedshare of global shipmentsreached 28% in the first quarter.

Shortage in PV invertersQ1’10 was also an outstandingand unique quarter for PVinverter suppliers for two verydifferent reasons. All suppliersreported incredible performancemaking Q1’10 the largest firstquarter on record in terms ofinverter shipments. Despite thisstrong result, demand forinverters still outstripped supply;and the component shortageand inverter productionproblems that began in Q4’09 infact worsened in Q1’10 withquarter-to-quarter supply falling.“Although Q1’10 presented

some incredible results for

inverter suppliers, withshipments up more than 300%year-on-year, sequentiallyshipments fell in all regions,including Germany. Total globalinverter shipments were 3.7 GWin Q4’09, some 16% higher thanQ1’10. In a ‘normal’ year thiskind of seasonality would beexpected; however, as strongdemand has continued into early2010 with the impending cut toGermany’s feed-in tariff, thissequential decline of invertershipments contrasts theincreasing shipments of PVmodules and highlights that thesupply of inverters may still berestraining growth of the PVindustry”, commented PVresearch director Ash Sharma.

“Production constraints still blightthe PV inverter industry, witheven market leader SMA havingto issue a formal apology to itscustomers; it recently indicatedits production capacity would belimited to around 1.3 GW in thesecond quarter and supplyconstraints would not ease untilJuly at the earliest. Despite thesupply of components stronglyaffecting SMA’s abilities to raiseits production output, it did infact gain market share in Q1’10,illustrating that this shortage isalso impacting its competitors’business and the issue isaffecting the entire inverterindustry”.

www.pvmarketresearch,com

Bright Start to 2010 for PV Modules

Market share ofPV modulesuppliers Q1 2010Source: IMS Research


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16_PEE_0510_16_PEE_0510 29/07/2010 09:23 Page 1

www.infineon.com INVERTER DESIGN 17


Highly Efficient 3-LevelSolutions for RenewableEnergy ApplicationsEnergy efficiency is one of the major criteria for photovoltaic (PV) and wind power inverters. The 3-levelinverter topology proves to be one of the most attractive candidates for low and medium power, lowvoltage applications which require high switching frequencies, complex filtering and high efficiency. The same advantages can be seen for Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS) which are connected andloaded 24/7. A new line of single modules which contain a full phase leg for a 3-level converter covers awide power range from 4kW to 120kW. These modules combined with the latest and especially adaptedsemiconductor chip technology simplify the design of compact and efficient 3-level inverters. Marc Buschkühle, Infineon Technologies AG, Warstein, Germany

Today’s PV-inverter- and UPS designs aresearching for new solutions with highestefficiency. The continuous improvement of

the power devices is one aspect. Anotherimportant item is to find special topologiesfor optimizing the overall efficiency.

The Neutral-Point-Clamped (NPC)topology leads to an enormous reductionof the switching losses, the size andrespectively the costs of the filter by betterspectral performance of the output voltage.The key for this gain is the ability to reducethe specific voltage class of implementedIGBTs. In contrast to 2-level inverters theIGBTs just need to block half of the DC-linkvoltage. A typical range of switchingfrequency is 15 to 20kHz.Furthermore, from a legal viewpoint, this

topology is uncritical. Contrary to severalhigh performance topologies for PVinverters like the so-called HERIC-(Sunways) or H5-topology (SMA), theNPC-topology is not patented by any

Figure1: Easy2B 3-level module shows up to50% lower losses compared to 2-level solutions

Figure 2: Infineon’s 3-levelportfolio 30A -300A

Infineon Feature_Layout 1 28/07/2010 11:55

18 INVERTER DESIGN www.infineon.com


latest chip generations were compared. The conventional 2-level solution only

shows an advantage in losses at lowswitching frequencies where on statelosses dominate and a single 1200V devicehas a lower on-state saturation voltage thantwo 650V devices in series. Above 4kHzswitching frequency the lower switchinglosses of the three level solution overcomethe higher on-state losses and a lossreduction of 50% is feasible at 15-20kHz.A big step in efficiency!

NPC-IGBT module scope For the lower power range up to 40kW, theEasyPACK 1B and 2B package can integratea complete 3-level phase leg at 50A and150A respectively. This is facilitated by thegrid based design of the package which

Figure 4: Ultra-lowinductive design ofEasyPACK 3-levelmodules

Figure 5: Fast and simple mounting and highly reliable cold welded interconnections through PressFIT

specific inverter supplier. Figure1 shows the difference in losses

between an EasyPACK 2B 3-levelF3L100R07W2E3_B11 (100A/650V) anda standard 2-level solution inFS100R12KT4G_B11 (100A/1200V). The

enables pins to be placed in the optimumposition relative to the DCB. For themedium power range the newEconoPACKTM 4 package is used forimplementation of a phase module up to300A. The wide portfolio from 30A up to

300A is shown in Figure 2.All modules rely on the well-established

reliable PressFIT technology which offersthe possibility of simple and solder-lessPCB mounting. Furthermore all themodules from 75A-300A use newenhanced IGBT and diode chips with anincreased blocking voltage of 650V (50Vextra compared to standard modules)without compromising conduction andswitching losses.

Benchmark with EasyPACK 3-levelThe requirement for low switching lossesby using fast IGBTs, for example the IGBT3650V silicon, means that low strayinductance is a critical design parameterespecially as the trend is for increased DC-link voltages.

During the design phase of EasyPACK1Band EasyPACK 2B 3-level solutions this was

Figure 3: Simple PCB inverter layout


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20 INVERTER DESIGN www.infineon.com


carefully considered. The externalconnection of the DC-link is designed to besimple and compact. Figure 3 shows apossible example of the PCB layout. All DCconnections are located in a single line nextto each other. This greatly simplifies a lowinductance PCB layout. The outputconnections are on the opposite side of themodule again facilitating the PCB designprocess.

An external low inductance design isgood, but the module itself also has tohave a low internal inductance. Withrespect to stray inductance the internalstructure of the EasyPACK 3-levelmodules is a benchmark with values as

low as 10nH.All commutation loops are designed to

be symmetrical and reduced to aminimum. The most importantcommutation loop for 3-level applications isbetween one of the outer IGBTs and theclamping diodes. In Figure 4 can be seeneven the bonding direction is optimized. Upto six pins are used in parallel to minimizestray inductance to the DC-link with theadded benefit of reducing PCB heating.

Auxiliary emitter terminals are availableto enable even faster switching. Last butnot least an NTC is fitted to enablefeedback of the DCB temperature.

For simple assembly and high quality

PCB connections all modules offer theoption of PressFIT contacts. This can reducesome of the constraints imposed by wavesoldering, for example height andplacement of components is faster and canreduce production costs when compared totraditional soldering methods. With thissimple procedure of pressing in the pinsinto the PCB holes a cold weldedconnection is formed (see Figure 5).

This connection is gas-tight and lowohmic resistance that is highly insensitive tohazardous atmospheres. It is also robustagainst contact overlays, has a low frettingrisk due to high contact forces and worksstable also with low level signals.

EfficiencyAs mentioned before by using theEasyPACK 3-level modules a loss reductionof 50% at 20kHz is possible. A data sheetcomparison in Table1 shows the benefits inswitching performance of theF3L100R07W2E3_B11 compared to the 2-level FS100R12KT4G_B11 module.

The second part of Table 1 and Figure 6shows the big gap in loss and efficiency atstandard operations. It can clearly be seenthat the EasyPACK 3-level modules haveessentially much lower switching losses.The efficiency can be improved easily overthe whole output power range andachieves value higher than 98% inconsideration of assumed copper losses.

ConclusionsThe 3-level topology show severaladvantages especially for solar and UPSinverters. The most important benefit is areduction of up to 40-60% insemiconductor losses. With this big dropinverter efficiencies higher than 98% arepossible. By using Infineon’s new 3-levelIGBT family a big step in efficiency can beaccomplished with the reduced design andassembly effort due to the modulepackaging and use of PressFIT technology.The module design with 650V IGBT3silicon and very low stray inductances isoptimized for fast switching at high DC-linkvoltages.

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Figure 6: Increase in efficiency by usingEasyPACK 3-level modules

Table 1: Comparison 3-level to 2-level solutions


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21_PEE_2010_21_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 14:29 Page 1

Next Generation HighPerformance BIGT HiPak Modules

22 POWER MODULES www.abb.com/semiconductors


The practical realization of the Bimode Insulated Gate Transistor (BIGT) will provide a potential solution forfuture high voltage applications demanding compact systems with higher power levels. In this article, wegive an outlook into the new technology and the basic performance levels which could be achieved as theBIGT progresses towards the product development stage, Arnost Kopta, Munaf Rahimo and RaffaelSchnell, ABB Switzerland Ltd. Semiconductors

The BIGT is an advanced reverseconducting IGBT device concept whichmainly targets an increase in the powerdensity levels of high voltage IGBTs fornext generation power electronics systems.The new device can operate in bothfreewheeling diode mode and (IGBT)transistor mode by utilizing the sameavailable silicon volume in both modes.Therefore, the BIGT targets to fully replacethe state-of-the-art two-chip IGBT/diodeapproach with a single BIGT chip. This isachieved while also being capable ofimproving on the overall performanceespecially under hard switching conditionswith low losses, soft switchingcharacteristics and high safe operating area(SOA).The BIGT development has resulted in a

clear breakthrough in device performanceby adopting an advanced shorted collectorbackside layout design, optimum dopingprofiles and controlled lifetime reductionfor enabling best possible operation inboth IGBT- and diode mode. In this article,we present the latest electrical andreliability results achieved bydemonstrating the 3.3kV BIGT in twoHiPak module footprints up to Tj=150°C.

The BIGT conceptThe BIGT consists of a hybrid structureintegrating an IGBT and an RC-IGBT into asingle chip as shown in Figure 1. The maintarget of this combination is to eliminatesnap-back behavior at low temperatures inthe BIGT transistor on-state mode byensuring that hole injection occurs at lowvoltages and currents from the P+collector region in the IGBT section of theBIGT. The BIGT concept provides anoptimum solution especially for thindevices with punch-through type bufferdesigns where the snapback phenomenonis pronounced in standard RC-IGBTs.The backside layout design and

dimensioning of the IGBT region isoptimized to provide smooth transition

into full chip conduction as the RC-IGBTsection will also provide holes at highercurrents maximize the RC-IGBT area fordiode conduction and minimize anycurrent non-uniformities especially duringswitching due to the integrated structure.Furthermore, the introduction of the IGBTwill enable the RC-IGBT part layout designto be independently optimized formaximizing the diode area and ensuringthat the BIGT utilizes the whole chip duringtransistor conduction for providing thesame technology curve as for a state-of-the-art IGBT chip. The BIGT concept hasresulted in a better trade-off between theabove mentioned parameters compared tothe standard RC-IGBT design. On the otherhand, to optimize the BIGT for lowdynamic and switching losses, the mainchallenge was to enable low diode mode

recovery losses while not having aconsiderable effect on the transistor modeon-state losses. A three step approach is utilized to

achieve this target. The first step is the finecontrol of the doping profiles of the emitterP-well cells and collector P+/N+ regions.As shown in Figure 1, the Enhanced-Planar(EP) cell technology does not include anyhighly doped P+ well regions and alsoexhibits a compensation effect due to theN-enhancement layer. These two featuresprovide the BIGT with a fine pattern P-wellprofile for obtaining low injection efficiencyfor a better diode performance whilemaintaining the typical low IGBT lossesassociated with EP designs. The secondoptimization step employs a Local P-wellLifetime (LpL) control technique (seeFigure 1 top) utilizing a well-defined

Figure 1: BIGT cross-section

Figure 2: On-statecharacteristics of the3.3kV BIGT substrate

ABB Feature_Layout 1 28/07/2010 12:47

www.abb.com/semiconductors POWER MODULES 23


(140 x 190mm) BIGT modules werefabricated and tested under conditionssimilar to those applied to state-of-the-artIGBT modules.

The BIGT advantage is demonstratedsince the HiPak1 module containing 4BIGT substrates for a total of 24 BIGT chipscan practically replace the larger 1500AHiPak2 SPT+ IGBT module which normallycontains 6 substrates having a total of 24IGBTs and 12 diodes. The larger standardIGBT module has the further disadvantageof employing much less diode area whichis normally a limiting factor in rectifiermode of operation and for the surge

current capability. On the other hand, thelarger HiPak2 BIGT module employs a totalof 36 BIGT chips and its rating canpotentially exceed 2000A.

Electrical characterization of the 3.3kVBIGT HiPak modules was carried out and ispresented below, including static anddynamic measurements under nominaland SOA conditions. For the dynamicmeasurements at nominal conditions theDC-link voltage was set to 1800 V, whilefor SOA characterization it was increased to2400 V. The RGon and RGoff values were fixedfor all dynamic tests at 1.0 and 1.5

respectively. Also, a 220nF gate-emitter

particle implantation which further reducesthe diode recovery without degrading thetransistor losses and blockingcharacteristics. A further reduction in thereverse recovery losses is achieved with auniform local lifetime control employingproton irradiation.

Characteristics of the 3.3kV BIGTThe BIGT technology has mainly beendeveloped for high voltage devices. Thework presented here was carried out on a3300V/62.5A BIGT chip with an activearea of approximately 1cm2. High current3.3kV HiPak1 (140 x 130mm) and HiPak2

Figure 3: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak1 (left: Eoff =2.8J) and SPT+ IGBT HiPak2 (right: Eoff =2.7J) turn-off nominal waveforms


24 POWER MODULES www.abb.com/semiconductors


capacitance Cge was employed.The on-state characteristics of the BIGT

in IGBT and diode modes are shown inFigure 2 at 25°C and 125°C. The resultswere obtained from the HiPak substratetest with a nominal current of 375A. Forboth IGBT and diode modes, an on-stateof 3.5V at 125°C is shown at the nominalcurrent. For safe paralleling of chips, thecurves show a strong positive temperaturecoefficient even at very low currents inboth modes of operation due to theoptimum emitter injection efficiency andlifetime control employed in the BIGTstructure.Figures 3 and 4 show the 3.3kV HiPak1

BIGT and HiPak2 SPT+ IGBT turn-off andturn-on waveforms respectively measured

under nominal conditions (VDC=1800 V,IC=1500 A, Tj=125°C). The respectivemodule switching losses are also indicated.The waveforms demonstrate the normalBIGT switching behavior in both IGBT anddiode modes when compared to a state-of-the-art device. A similar comparison isshown for the nominal reverse recoveryperformance as shown in Figure 5. Thedi/dt during switching exceeds 6kA/µs forall tests.

Softness performanceThe new BIGT technology has inherentlyextremely soft switching behavior in bothIGBT and diode mode of operation. Theoptimized collector P+ doping profileswill ensure that during the turn-off tail in

both modes, the passing electronstowards the N+ regions will induce alarge potential across the PN junctionforcing a controlled level of ChargeExtraction (or hole injection) into thebase. Figure 5 demonstrates this softness

during turn-off for both the BIGT HiPak1and the SP T+ IGBT HiPak2 modules at500A and VDC=2400V and Tj=125°C. Thereverse recovery softness performance ofthe BIGT is also demonstrated in Figure6 at a very low current of 50A andVDC=2400V and Tj=125°C. This feature is of particular importance

for the realization of the BIGT technologysince it overcomes the expected trend ofreduced softness due to the non-

Figure 4: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak1 (left: Eon =2.2J/ Erec =2.3J) and SPT+ IGBT HiPak2 (right: Eon =1.9J Erec =2.2J) turn-on nominal waveforms

Figure 5: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak1 (left) and SPT+ IGBT HiPak2 (right) turn-off softness

Figure 6: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak1 (Left) and SPT+ IGBT HiPak2 (Right) reverse recovery softness


www.abb.com/semiconductors POWER MODULES 25


optimum silicon design of the BIGT fordiode mode operation and the increasediode area provided with the newconcept.

SOA performanceThe SOA switching performance will bepresented here at T j =150°C todemonstrate the robustness of the BIGTmodules. Figure 7 shows the turn-offwaveforms at 3000A and VDC = 2400V inboth IGBT and diode modes. Similar SOA tests were carried out for

the larger HiPak 2 module at 4500A, VDC = 2400V and 150°C as shown inFigure 8. The BIGT also shows ruggedshort circuit performance with anaverage short circuit current of 6500Awhen measured under these conditions.

Frequency operation and reliabilitytesting3.3kV HiPak1 BIGT modules weresubjected for the first time to a PWMfrequency test in an H-bridgeconfiguration. The test was carried out ata maximum junction temperature of120°C for approximately 30 minutes atthree operational frequencies (500Hz,1000Hz and 1500Hz). At a DC linkvoltage of 2.1kV, peak currents up to800A were achieved during the tests.The frequency test results provide a firstinsight into the feasibility of a single chip

operating in both IGBT and freewheelingdiode modes under hard-switchingconditions.

Reliability measurements were alsocarried out on BIGT chips. The BIGTssuccessfully passed the standardverification High Temperature ReverseBias (HTRB) stress test at 2640V both at125°C for 168 hours followed by asecond run for the same chips at 150°Cfor a further 168 hours. In addition, theBIGT successfully passed the HighTemperature Gate Bias (HTGB) test atVge = 25V at 150°C for 168 hours and ahumidity (HAST) test at 125°C, Vge =25V, and Vce = 80V with 85% humidityfor 168 hours.Figure 9 shows the expected output

current performance for the BIGT HiPak2module compared to today`s SPT+ IGBT

equivalent module at 125°C in bothInverter and Rectifier modes. It wasassumed that an optimizedchip/package layout design and losstrade-offs were employed in a fullydeveloped BIGT module. The curvesshow that the diode performance is alimiting factor for the standard moduleapproach while for the BIGT module thetransistor mode defines the limit. Thecurves show that with BIGT technology a25% and 38% increase in inverter andrectifier output current capability isachieved respectively. Furthermore, theBIGT technology will pave the way forfuture generations of IGBT baseddesigns to provide higher powerdensities without any limitationsimposed by the diode performance.

Figure 7: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak1 turn-off (left) and reverse recovery (right) SOA at 150°C (peak power = 7.9MW and 3.5MW respectively)

Figure 8: 3.3kV BIGT HiPak2 turn-off (left) and reverse recovery (right) SOA at 150°C (peak power = 12MW and 4.2MW respectively)

Figure 9: Outputpower capability of

the 3.3kV SPT+ IGBTagainst the BIGT

Hipak2 modules inboth inverter andrectifier modes


Integrated Gate Driver Circuit Solutions

26 IGBT DRIVERS www.semikron.com


Power electronics systems are commonly used in motor drive, power supply and power conversionapplications. They cover a wide output power spectrum: from several hundred watts in small drives up tomegawatts in wind-power installations or large drive systems. Inside the system the gate driver circuit withits extensive control and monitoring functions forms the interface between the microcontroller and thepower switches (IGBT). This article provides an overview of different gate driver topologies for differentpower ranges and shows examples for monolithic integration of the driver functionality. R. Herzer, J.Lehmann, M. Rossberg, B. Vogler, SEMIKRON Elektronik, Nuremberg, Germany

Today’s power conversion architecturesare based on pulse width modulation(PWM) to control the power, thefrequency and the voltage supplied fromthe mains to a given or unknown, fixed orvariable load [1]. Switches, controlled by adriver, repeatedly connect the load eitherto a supply voltage or to ground.Depending on the switching pattern, manyimplementations of the basic principle areemployed. For instance, current continuitycan be ensured either by turning theswitches on and off interchangeably or byswitching only one of them and using thefree-wheeling diode of the other.Generally, it will be possible to alter theshape of the current waveform passingthrough a load by varying the PWMhigh/low ratio [2].

Basic gate driver functionalityIn power conversion systems using IGBTs(or MOSFETs) as semiconductor switches,the topology shown in Figure 1 is oftenadopted for each half bridge. Theappropriate PWM patterns for the switchesare generated by a microcontroller. The

gate driver circuit with its extensive controland monitoring functions forms theinterface between the microcontroller andthe switches. The driver can be divided intoa primary and a secondary side. The mainfunctions of the primary side unit areshown in Figure 1.

A potential separation (insulation)between both sides is necessary becausethe primary side is normally related to thelogic level and the secondary side to theemitter potential of the power device. Anycontrol signals, and power supply to thesecondary side gate driver circuits of boththe high side and low side have to betransferred via this electrical insulation.Today there are many cases in whichinformation (status or sensor informationetc.) are also sent back via the insulation.

The secondary side gate driver circuit ismainly responsible for the optimal controlof the active switches. The driver shouldutilise the potentials of the device in termsof current and voltage capability, losses andtemperature. Furthermore sensor andmonitoring functions are implemented tohandle critical operation modes and to

keep the device within the specified safeoperating area (SOA). If a critical mode isdetected by the gate driver or the additionalsensor monitoring circuits, the driver circuitnormally reacts independently of thesupervising system (MC). To establish a 3-phase motor control, three branches onsimilar lines to those depicted in Figure 1are needed. Additionally, a seventh switchis often employed to perform power factorcorrection. This low side switch could alsobe used as a brake chopper.

Gate driver topologies and insulationprinciplesIn the range of 600V to 1700V (6,5kV)IGBT switches are commonly used inmotor drives, power supplies and otherpower conversion applications. They covera wide output power range from severalhundred watts in small drives up tomegawatts in wind power installations orlarge drive systems. The topology of thepower system and the voltage and powerrange of the specific application are whatdetermine the choice of the potentialseparation (insulation) between primary

Figure 1: Basictopology of a powerelectronic system

Semikron Feature_Layout 1 28/07/2010 14:19

www.semikron.com IGBT DRIVERS 27


insulation, signal and energy transmissionin dependence on the application range. IGBT gate driver solutions and ICs for

high power applicationsFor some time now, effective system

integration solutions have existed in thelow power sector, [e.g.3-6]. In this mass-market environment, it is the ever-presentneed to cut costs which acts as the mainimpetus towards monolithic integration.State-of-the-art designs in the high powerrange, however, rely much less ondedicated ICs, because productionquantities are smaller and the variety ofproduct customisations, even for arelatively small number of units, is wider.Yet it is the conceptual difference betweenlow power and high power designs whichis actually most important. Only ICsspecially developed under high powercriteria [7 - 9] can adequately replaceexisting discrete solutions. But such ICs arenecessary to reduce the number ofdiscrete components at increasingfunctionality and lead to higher reliability,smaller volume and lower costs.

Primary and secondary side IGBTdriver ICs for pulse transformerA system structure particularly suited forcoping with high currents has already beenshown in Figure 1. The concept is centeredon physical potential separation by pulsetransformer (signals) and DC/DC converter(power supply) to divide the gate driverinto one primary (per system) and onesecondary side IC (per switch).The SIXPACK configuration suggests that

it is straightforward to merge all controlfunctionality into a single IC. A six-channelprimary side controller has thus beendesigned following the principle depictedin Figure 3.Three TOP and three BOTTOM input

signals come from the microcontroller. All

incoming signals are synchronised with theclock generated on-chip. They aresubjected to short pulse suppression andchecked for potentially hazardous patterns.An interlock time digitally adjustable by theuser is inserted between TOP andBOTTOM signals of each channel (TD1,TD2). Alternatively, a freely overlappingoperation can be programmed (SELECT).The three main digital cores perform mostof the functional signal processing. Severaldifferent modes of operation can beselected. A dedicated high powerconfiguration is activated by the GBSYNCsignal, allowing all three channels to beoperated synchronously. By this means,IGBT half-bridges are driven with minimalmutual delay, whether they are connectedin parallel for high output currents or inseries for high voltage operation. The resultis enhanced reliability and performance. The logic signals to be transmitted to

pulse transformers pass through levelshifters and are then amplified by CMOSoutput driver stages.Fault events such as supply voltage

monitoring being triggered, or error flagsbeing fed into the IC, are stored in an errormemory. Errors specific to each half-bridge(e.g. short circuit) are preprocessed in therelevant main core. Depending on theerror type, a characteristic pattern isgenerated by the error-coding unit.A chip photograph of an IC realised in

1m CMOS technology is shown in Figure4. In the internal design, great emphasis hasbeen placed on fault-insensitive, ruggeddesign. As a part of the complex power-on-reset management, signal paths are safelyblocked with supply-independent structures.Six 1A drivers serve to transfer the outputpatterns onto pulse transformers. AdditionalDC/DC control circuitry and output stages(2x 1A) are present for the secondary sidepower supply.On the secondary side, single gate driver

ICs are utilised. The functional blockdiagram of the IC selected is given inFigure 5. Any incoming signal is recognised

and secondary side. On the other hand,the form of potential separation selectedhas a significant influence on the drivercircuitry, the reliability, noise immunity andthe costs of the driver. In a symmetrically grounded DC link

circuit (Figure 2a) for medium and highpower applications, external devices suchas optocouplers, transformers or fibreoptics are used for the galvanic insulationand the signal transfer. For anasymmetrically grounded DC link (Figure2b) and low power applications, it is inprinciple possible to realise the potentialseparation only for the high side switch(TOP). The easiest way is an integratedlevel-shifter (LS, no galvanic insulation). Inthis case the microcontroller, the primaryside, the emitter and secondary side gatedriver of the low side switch (BOT) have tobe on the same ground potential. Table 1summarises the different techniques for

Figure 2: Example of symmetric (a) andasymmetric (b) grounded DC link and differentpotential separation (PS)

Table 1: Gate drivertopologies, insulationand transmissionprinciples dependingon the power range




by the input interface. Depending on thesystem configuration, the signal patternswill be differently transformed for internaluse. They are then fed into the centrallogic and error-processing unit. Finally, levelshifters send them to the main outputdrivers, which deliver up to 3A of peakcurrent to the IGBT gate. Thus, the IC isable directly to control IGBT modules up to300A. If higher system power is required,

external post amplifiers can be applied.It was essential to design the input

interface for high flexibility. Fig. 6 illustratestypical operating conditions at the input.Signal patterns transferred from theprimary side are either optically coupledsquare waves with the IGBT turn-offvoltage (DC-) as reference, or characteristicpulse transformer waveforms.

While the normal input IN recognisessquare waves, a pulse edge storage block(PES) connected to IN sets up the chip forpulse transformer environments. In thisconfiguration, pulses are reliably latched by

a feedback loop, ensuring high back swingimmunity. There is an additionalcomplication possible which will make itfeasible to drive negative turn-off voltagesat the output. For optimised turn-off lossesand noise immunity, it is desirable to drawthe IGBT gate potential below commonground. Internally, however, all circuits haveto refer to the lowest potential on-chip.The required level shifting also takes placeinside the input interface. As far as thenegative turn-off voltage is concerned,system designers can choose freelybetween 0V and -8V.

The central logic is responsible for

filtering out all signal patterns that couldjeopardise the power semiconductorswitches. External and internal voltages aremonitored to identify threateningconditions. If the driver supply voltagewere not monitored, the IGBTs might beswitched on with too low gate voltage,thus leading to excessive power dissipationin the system. Likewise, any failure of theon-chip 5V supply requires to be handledto keep the system controllable.

The most common external faultsituation is IGBT current overloading. In thiscase, desaturation and strongly increasedcurrent will lead to a high VCE voltage dropacross the switch. Dynamic VCE detectiontherefore monitors the IGBT on-statevoltage with a customisable inhibit timeand VCE threshold.

If an error is detected, the central logicstores the error code and turns off theIGBT. An error signal is then transferredback to the primary side where the controlIC reacts, either generating a secondaryside reset or turning off the system globally.

Errors are treated differently at power-onof the IC. On ramping-up of the externalsupply voltages, a power-on-reset regimecontrols the chip initially. Redundantmechanisms prevent unintended switchingon of the drivers. No errors are reported tothe primary side during power-on-reset.

Combining the concept of value-independent level shifting with internalsupply and reference voltage generationallowed the IC to be realised with cost-effective 1m, 12 mask, double metal,HV-CMOS technology. Figure 7 shows achip photograph of the manufactured IC.The high voltage transistors’ areaconsumption and SOA require thoroughoptimisation of the large 3A on-chip outputdriver stages. The IC has to be able to drivethe gates continuously and long-term at up

to 100kHz. The theoretical maximumfrequency was determined using 15Voutput swing and a load of 4.75 in serieswith 33nF capacitance. If power dissipationissues are disregarded, the peak current isnot internally limited by driver delay until>180kHz.

IGBT driver ICs with digital coreIn order to get a higher functionality andflexibility of IGBT driver for different

Figure 3: Primary side IC block diagram [10]

Figure 4: Chip photograph, primary sidecontroller (approx. 5.2mm x 4.3mm)

Figure 5: Secondary side IC block diagram [11]


$ 20from US

29_PEE_2010_29_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 13:00 Page 1



applications and/or to achievesophisticated and repetitive signaltransmission for all signals, includingsensing signals, a fully digital driver is themost favourable and universal solution inthe high power range [12]. Figure 8shows the block diagram of such a newand innovative concept with the mainfeatures of the primary and secondary

side control IC.The principle block structure is similar

to Figure 1 but the functionality of theprimary and secondary side control IC ismuch higher and more flexible(programmable). The insulation andsignal transmission between both sides isrealised in both directions by modems.The digital-based signal transmission usespulses with a defined length and shapegenerated by an internal digital logic. Thepulses are almost independent ofcomponent parameters and are, inadditional, evaluated differentially.Transmission reliability is achieved withhigh transformer currents and the farlower terminating impedance of thereceiver. As a result of this and also of therelative independence from componentparameters (modem), a high supplyvoltage for pulse generation is no longernecessary (3.3V is used).On the primary side a bidirectional data

transfer with the microcontroller isimplemented (3.3V or 5V interface).Input signals from C are monitored forcritical frequencies. Short pulsesuppression, interlock and dead time etc.are user configurable. Further features arelisted in Figure 8. On the secondary side,the transferred signal is received by adifferential windows comparator andtransmitted to the digital logic for thesecondary-side encoding and signalprocessing. By modulating the repetitivelytransmitted pulses, communication forthand back between the primary andsecondary side can be achieved.Differentiated status or error signals, dataand furthermore sensor signals (e.g.temperature of IGBT module) can betransmitted continuously. Powerful 15V output stages are

implemented to drive the gates ofexternal post amplifiers (two MOSFET in apush-pull output configuration)separately, to avoid cross currents duringswitching. The output stage has twooutputs for easy asymmetric gate control.This allows for the gate resistor to be splitinto two resistors for turn-on and turn-off,respectively. The main advantage,however, is that this solution allows forseparate optimisation of turn-on and turn-off with regard to turn-on over-current,turn-off over-voltage spikes and short-circuit behaviour. Additionally, the digitallogic core can be used to drive andcontrol two output stages with differentparalleled gate resistors. This allows fortime dependency to be defined foreffective gate resistor switching of theIGBT and, thus, for the IGBT switching

Figure 6: Typical waveforms and potentials atthe interfaces

Figure 7: Chip photograph, secondary side IC(approx. 3.2mm x 2.6mm)

Figure 8: Blockdiagram and featuresof the digital driverconcept


www.semikron.com IGBT DRIVERS 31


time sequences to be modulated. This inturn means reduced switching losses andstill allows for the over-voltage peak to belimited.

Starting the development with FPGAson primary side and secondary side fordigital signal processing [12], thecomplete digital and analogous functionsof each side were integrated in a mixed-signal ASIC. Figure 9 shows the chip for

the primary side control IC. The mostimportant and visible circuit parts aremarked. The ICs are realised in a CMOStechnology which allows on the one handsynchronous design of the 3.3V digitalcore working at 40MHz and on the otherthe integration of powerful output stages(3.3V, 15V) and of circuit topologiessuitable for +15V/-15V operationvoltages. (To be continued in PEE6/2010).

Literature[1] B.Murari, F.Bertotti, G.A.Vignola:

Smart Power ICs: Technologies andApplications; Springer, Berlin,Heidelberg, New York, 1996[2] U.Nicolai, T.Reimann, J.Petzhold,

J. Lutz, P. Martin (Editor):SEMIKRON Application Manual;

ISLE, Ilmenau; 1998[3] K.Watabe, K.Shimizu, H.Akiyama,

T.Araki, J.Moritani,M.Fukunaga: A half-bridge driver IC

with newly designed highvoltage diode, Proc. ISPSD 2001, pp.

279-282

[4] International Rectifier; DataSheet IR 2135, IR 2235[5] A.Nakagawa: Single chip power

integration- High voltage SOI andlow voltage BCD, Proc. CIPS 2000,

pp. 8-15[6] S.Pawel, R.Herzer, M.Roßberg:

Fully integrated 600VDrive IC for medium power

applications operating up to 200°C,Proc. ISPSD 2005, pp. 55-58[7] M.Ramezani, C.A.T.Salama: A

monolithic IGBT gate driverimplemented in a conventional 0.8_mBiCMOS process, Proc. ISPSD 1998,pp. 109-112[8] R.Herzer, S.Pawel, J.Lehmann:

IGBT driver chipset for high powerapplications, Proc. ISPSD 2002, pp.

161-164[9] J.Thalheim: Chipset for flexible

and scalable high-performance gatedrivers for 1200V-6500V IGBTs, Proc.

ISPSD 2008, pp. 197-200[10] SEMIKRON; Data Sheet SKIC

6002[11] SEMIKRON; Data Sheet SKIC

1003, SKIC 1002[12] New PCIM 2008 Exhibits, Power

Electronics Europe, July/August 2008,pp. 16-21

Figure 9: Chip photograph of digital driverprimary side control IC (chip size 5.75mm x5.9mm; digital core 3.5mm x 4mm)

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Power Modules for MotorControl Applications

32 POWER MODULES www.ElectronicMotionSystems.com


For applications in power electronics where significant power needs to be handled in confined spaces, oftenthe choice for packaging is not a set of discrete power components, but a dedicated power module. Forthat purpose CoolPAK realizes an insert-molded shell which has an integrated metal lead-frame array.These lead-frames also present horizontal areas for housing bare die components as well as forming outthe terminals for the outside contacts. Jim Tompkins and Peter Sommerfeld, Electronic MotionSystems Canada and Germany

The standard approach to powermodule design is to choose a suitablesubstrate which is typically copper onceramic (DBC - Direct Bonded Copper)or a laminate on a metal plate (IMS -Insulated Metal Substrate). This subst rateholds the bare die power componentsand is typically attached to a plasticframe, which holds the metal terminalsfor the outside electrical contacts andalso forms out fixation features ifrequired. A metal base-plate below thesubstrate may also be required toincrease the thermal spreading capabilityof the substrate. With the CoolPAK-Technology a different solution to powermodule design is offered .

Coolpak designThe CoolPAK power module consists ofsix FETs arranged in a three-phase fullbridge configuration. Further componentsare the thermistor to monitor the powermodule’s temperature, a shunt forcurrent measurement in the ground lineof the module and an EMC decoupling

capacitor. The lead-frames also form theoutside contacts for supply (B+, GND),the motor phases (U, V, W), and thecontrol and monitoring signals (Figure 1).

A central component of the CoolPAKpower module is the insert-molded lead-frame shell (see Figure 2 for anunpopulated and a populated shell).The plastic molding holds an array of

metal lead-frames, which present openareas uncovered by plastic. The areas ofthe lead-frame opening into the cavity ofthe plastic shell will hold the bare dieFETs and the other components requi redfor the power module. The cavity of theshell is potted with silicone gel for theprotection of the components and iscovered with a plastic, snap-on lid.

Thermal stackA power module’s performance is largelydetermined by its thermal resistance, i.e.its ability to conduct dissipated heat awayfrom the active bare die components.The thermal stack-up of the CoolPAKmodule consists of the bare die FETs

so ldered to the metal lead-frame madeof copper core material and attached to aheat sink by thermal adhesive. Forcomparison, we show also a DBC-basedpower module, where the bare die FETsare soldered onto the DBC substrateconsisting of a ceramic with copperlayers on both sides, which is thenattached to a heat-sink by thermaladhesive.Figure 3 shows both thermal stacks

and approximate thermal resistances ofthe various layers. The CoolPAK moduledoes not have the ceramic substratewhich is missing from its thermal stack,lowering its thermal resistancesignificantly. More so, the copperthickness of the metal lead-frame ismuch larger than the copper layers of theDBC module.This acts as a further contributor to

reducing the overall thermal resistance ofthe stack for the module by increasingthe lateral sp reading the heat generatedin the MOSFET. A similar effect can beseen regarding the electrical loop

Figure 1: CoolPAKcomponents andplacement

EMS Feature_Layout 1 28/07/2010 12:02

www.ElectronicMotionSystems.com POWER MODULES 33


Firstly, the plastic shell contains smallnubs, which establish a defined gapbetween lead-frame and heat-sink whenthe module is placed onto the heat-sinkaccording to Figure 4.Secondly, the module can be attached

by a thermal adhesive filled with glassbeads of defined size so as to ensureelectrical isolation between lead-frameand heat-sink. The s hell also has towithstand the high process temperaturesduring soldering of the components. Theplastic material (PPA) is such that evenlead-free soldering operation can becarried out with the shell.The metal lead-frames are made from

copper for high thermal and electricalconductivity. The lead-frame thickness ischosen to be 1mm, which facilitatesthermal spreading and increases thethermal transfer pe r component. Also thecurrent carrying capability of the lead-

frames is significantly improved, whichreduces the resistive power losses of themodule.In order to run the wire bond

interconnection process, the copper lead-frames are Nickel-plated in the relevantareas to provide large wire-bondreliability and manufacturing consistency.For the lead-frames of the signal contactsAluminium inlays enhance s mall wire-bond reliability.

Temperature and current monitoringThe power module is fitted with an NTCthermistor, which sits on a smallsubstrate providing the contact pads.This thermistor assembly is attacheddirectly to a lead-frame by a solderedcontact, providing good thermal contact.This causes very little thermal lagbetween the thermistor and the junctiontemperatures of the FETs, which allows

resis tance of the module. Due to thelead-frame technology the resistance isreduced significantly.

Shell and thermal interfaceThe CoolPAK shell has to facilitate theconduction of heat away from the baredie FETs. This is done very effectivelythrough the metal lead-frame, but carealso has to be taken to have an efficientthermal transfer to the underlying heat-sink.The CoolPAK module has the lead-

frames exp osed on its bottom-side aswell. This way the thermal adhesive canbond directly to the lead-frame andestablish thermal contact to the heat-sinkdirectly. With this method, care has to betaken that no lead-frame accidentallymakes contact to the heat-sink andthereby causes short circuit conditions.To avoid this, two precautions are taken.

Figure 2:Unpopulated (left)and populated lead-frame shell

Figure 3: Thermalstacks andapproximate thermalresistances of thevarious layers forDBC and CoolPAKmodule


34 POWER MODULES www.ElectronicMotionSystems.com


the active protection of the moduleagainst over-temperature. The inputcurrent and output voltage of thethermistor are provided via the signal pinoutputs.A shunt resistor in the ground path of

the module allows for currentmeasurement. The shunt is chosen tohave as low a resistance as possible tokeep dissipation down and still provide agood signal -to-noise behavior. The shuntis directly soldered to the lead-frames ofthe shell. The voltage measurement isrealized via the signal pads.The supply terminal B+ and GND are

plated to allow both contact by resistancewelding as well as a soldering operation.The same is the case for the three phaseterminals U, V, W.The signal pins are through-hole leads

for attachment to a controller board togenerate th e gate driver signals andmeasure current and temperature. Thesignal leads also include a contact to thesource of each FET for sensing thevoltage.

Process technology and reliabilityThe manufacturing of the CoolPAKtechnology uses common moduleassembly technology. The areas for theplacement of the bare die FETs aredefined by dispensing solder resist,which is cured. Within the confines of thesolder re sist pattern the solder paste isdispensed into which the bare die FETsare placed.The soldering process is conducted in

a multi-chamber vacuum oven. Thisallows the solder joints to reflow andminimize the amount of solder jointvoiding. This is of particular importancefor this power module since the solderjoint is the first thermal contact layer tothe bare die FET and needs to be asthermally conductiv e as possible.

The reflowed modules undergo acleaning process. After this the bare diesare wire bonded to the relevant areas onthe lead-frames and contact pads. Thewire bond process is being controlledregularly to ensure quality of bonds.Finally the module is potted with siliconegel which protects the electroniccomponents from dust and moisture.The parametric test of the power

module tests every FET and the othercomponents. For the FETs a batch relatedanalysis is performed on the parametersstored. Over and above the requirementof every parameter being in between alower and an upper limit a furtherconstraint is applied in that statisticallyevery module is discarded whose FETshave measurement values on anyparameter more than a certain multiple

of the standard deviation away from themean of the batch. This applies even ifthe value itself is between the lower andupper limit. This “maverick test” methodhas been taken over from semiconductormanufacturing, where it proved out to bevery efficient in rooting out a suspectproduct. The reliability performance of this

module has been tested extensively. Themost important test which addresses thecentral innovative components of themodule is the pow er cycling test. In thistest the module is subjected to cyclicperiods of passing significant current andoff-periods. This leads to a cyclicvariation in the junction temperature ofthe FETs and of the entire thermal stack.The CoolPAK technology has provenitself to conform to all applicationspecific specifications for automotiveapplications.

Application examplesThe CoolPAK technology is currentlybeing used in high volume production foran automotive electro-hydraulic steeringECU for a 14V system voltage. Themodule is required since the discretesolution is not able to handle therequired electrical power. It is also beingtrialed for automotive electro-hydraulicsteering ECU for a 28V system. Again thepower handling capability of thetechnology is required to comply with thepower requirements of th is application.

Further areas of use could be generalbrushless DC motor drives, electricheaters for automotive applications,active rectification and electric resistancewelding.

ConclusionsCoolPAK shows significant advantages inthermal performance and cost overconventional power module technology.This is due to fewer components, simplerassembly technology at good currentcarrying capability. The techn ology lendsitself particularly to applications wherehigh power handling is required inconstricted space envelopes.

Figure 4: Small nubs establishing a defined gap between lead-frame and heatsink


www.ti.com LOW POWER DESIGN 35


USB Compliance in WirelessModem DesignWith USB being a standard interface in PC peripherals, the number of applications that can be poweredfrom a USB port is increasing at an exponential rate. The need for flexibility and continuous connectivity inour lives is becoming more important. In a growing wireless world, many applications are taking portableform allowing users the ease and flexibility of connecting to the web anywhere. With all the benefits thisbrings, there are a number of extra requirements that need to be taken into account when designing adevice that is powered from a USB port. John Constantopoulos, Systems Engineer, WW Low PowerDC/DC, Texas Instruments, USA

A growing variety of portable wirelessmodems for data communicationapplications use TDMA techniques whichrequire peak current during thetransmission of signals which can exceedthe maximum current specified by the USBstandard. Therefore the modem must bedesigned to limit the input power anddraw on card-based storage for most ofthe energy requirement during a typicaltransmission cycle. As shown in Figure 1, the GSM signal is

transmitted over the carrier at a rate of216Hz (4.616ms pulse repetition interval).The transmission period is divided intoeight time slots and depending on thepower class being used (8, 10 or 12) , theduty cycle of this high current pulse canrange anywhere between one-eighth ofthe cycle (577µs) up to half of thetransmission cycle (2.308ms). Much of the work in GSM power supply

design revolves around the transmissioncycle due to the high current consumptionin this mode. The main problem with theGSM or GPRS requirement is that inportable wireless modem applications, theaverage input current being drawn at theUSB host is limited to 500mA, while mosttransmitters will need 1.5A to 2A peakbursts to transmit at full power.For example, when transmitting in GPRS

Class 10, a maximum of two of the eight577_s slots are used, while the remainingsix slots are used to recharge the capacitor,during which the supply current is reducedto less than 100mA. Therefore the powersupply must be able to supply at least theaverage current over one transmissionperiod, as well as be capable of handlingthe 2A transmission bursts.There are numerous different topologies

which can be used to support these powerrequirements, many of which exceed whatis specified in the USB specification. But

there are many PC manufacturers thatstrictly abide to the USB specification, andthese solutions will either not becompatible with them causing the systemto fail or worst case the PC to crash. As aresult of this, many vendors are placingstricter requirements on USB applicationsto maintain USB compliancy. It is therefore clearly not possible for a

DC/DC converter used in a USB wirelessmodem to operate correctly without anyspecial design measures and featureswhich allow the system to be USBcompliant.

Buck converter with integratedcurrent limit switchThe TPS62750 is a 94% efficient step-down converter optimized for USBpowered applications. It features a highlyaccurate adjustable average input currentlimit (± 5% at 500mA), and key

protection features such as hot-plug andreverse current protection. Figure 2 showshow the TPS62750 is used to power atypical USB wireless modem. As the USB port can only supply up to

500mA, it is especially important tomaximize the amount of current drawnfrom the USB port. This can be achievedby using a highly accurate current limitingcircuitry, allowing the amount of currentdrawn from the USB port to be as close to500mA as possible.TPS62750 incorporates two highly

accurate adjustable average input currentlimits which can be digitally selected bythe H/L pin. This allows the designer to setan input current limit of 100mA duringLow Power Mode for enumeration(effectively charging up the output cap),and then by pulling the H/L pin high,shifting into High Power 500mA modewhen requested.

Figure 1:Transmission periodof a typicalGSM/GPRS pulse

Figure 2: Overview ofBuck converter onlysolution

Texas Feature_Layout 1 28/07/2010 12:19

36 LOW POWER DESIGN www.ti.com


circuit, creating the required average inputcurrent which is set by the external resistor. Most DC/DC converters used in

portable applications use ceramiccapacitors to filter DC/DC converter inputs.Ceramic capacitors are often chosenbecause of their small size, low equivalentseries resistance (ESR) and high RMS

current capability (see Figure 3). When power is supplied via the USB

bus or a USB dongle is plugged into theUSB port, the cable inductance along withthe self resonant and high Q characteristicsof ceramic capacitors can cause substantialringing which could exceed the maximum

The high accuracy of ±5%, is achievedby sensing the current ripple over the high-side transistor. This is then amplified by ahigh-speed amplifier which allows the fastdetection of the current pulses, allowingfor the high level of current accuracy. Thissignal is then averaged by an integrator

Figure 3: Basicoverview of hot-plugsystem

voltage ratings and damage the DC/DCconverter without any dedicatedprotection. As shown in Figure 4, thesevoltage spikes can easily be twice theamplitude of the input voltage step.One possible protection option is to use

a TVS (transient voltage suppression)Zener diode to clamp such high-pulse

transient voltages. But these devices aregenerally expensive and in space limitedportable applications this may not be anoption at all.A key feature of the TPS62750 is that it

incorporates internal hot-plug protectioncircuitry which limits the transient voltage

during a hot-plug event to a level belowthe absolute maximum rating of theDC/DC converter. Figure 5 shows how the internal clamp

circuitry reacts to a hot-plug event, limitingthe voltage on the input of the DCDCconverter to a level below where thedevice may potentially be damaged. Thisallows the design engineer to develop hiscircuitry without any extra protectioncircuitry.

Design exampleAssuming that the DC/DC converter has aset input current of 500mA, with thesupply voltage directly from the USB port(5V) and an output supply for the RFPA of3.7V, allows for effectively supply around675mA directly from the DC/DC converter(no switching losses taken into account). Assuming 90% efficiency, the total

amount of current delivered by the DC/DCconverter is 610mA. The rest of the energyfor a GSM/GPRS transmission slot needsto come from a bulk capacitor according toICAP = IGSM - IDC/DC and ICAP = 2.0A - 610mA =1.39A.

Figure 4: Voltagespikes at USB hot-plugging

Figure 5: TPS62750 internal clamp of hot-plug event


www.ti.com LOW POWER DESIGN 37


The voltage drop in the circuit comprisestwo components, the I x R drop associatedwith the capacitor’s internal resistance (asapproximated by ESR) and the drop incapacitor voltage at the end of the pulse.Therefore the effective capacitancerequired to buffer each pulse, assumingclass 8 transmission (0.577ms slot), isequal to:

where VDROOP is the change in outputvoltage, IPULSE and tPULSE are the peak pulsecurrent and duration respectively, RESR is thecapacitor ESR and COUT is the outputcapacitance.Figure 6 shows the screen plot of the

TPS62750 configuration as calculatedabove. Using a 2.2mF bulk capacitor, whilebeing loaded with typical 2A pulses atpower class 8 (577µs). During the periodwhere no transmission occurs, little or nocurrent is being drawn from the device andthe output voltage remains stable at 3.7V.

As soon as transmission occurs, the outputvoltage of the DC/DC converter starts todroop while the required power level issupplied to the load.

ConclusionsUntil recently, designers of portablesystems have rarely used large capacitorsfor applications other than back-up orstandby functions where currents are lowand charge times are fairly long. But agrowing range of new applications, led bya new generation of high performance

Wireless Modems, demand high peakcurrents that are forcing designers toconsider different approaches to reducesolution size and total cost, while still beingable to deliver the high required peakcurrents. The compact solution TPS62750step-down converter is a power supplysolution for USB powered peripherals. Itssmall solution footprint, combined withtoday’s low profile polymer and tantalumcapacitors elegantly solves the pulsed loadproblem, providing a cost-effective,compact solution.

Figure 6: Screen plot of Class 8 transmission

!"# !"!

www.drives-expo.com

TheDrives and Controls Exhibition & Conference 2012


38 PRODUCT UPDATE


High Temperature 80VPower MOSFET

CISSOID now offers a high temperature 80V N-channel powerMOSFET (Earth) guaranteed for operation from -55°C up to +225°C.It enhances the existing family that comprises Venus (PMOS),Saturn (40V NMOS) and Mercury (small signal transistor).The newdevice is available in two versions, rated for 5A and 10A maximumdrain current respectively. Both versions of Earth MOSFETs,referenced CHT-NMOS8005 and CHT-NMOS8010, exhibitoutstanding high temperature performances. At 225°C, CHT-NMOS8005’s gate leakage current remains below 500nA, while itsdrain off current is as low as 20µA and its turn-on delay time is30ns. On-resistance and input capacitance of the family rangerespectively from 0.25Ω to 0.5Ω and from 410pF to 850pF. The Earthfamily enables the design of any system requiring reliable powercontrol in a harsh environment whilst eliminating the need for fluidcooling in applications such as industrial process control, carbattery chargers and aircraft actuatos. The CHT-NMOS8005 andCHT-NMOS8010 are available for sampling and evaluation in TO-254metal can packaging. Pricing starts at Euro 214.15 up to 200 units.

www.cissoid.com

Infineon launched the new 650VCoolMOS(tm) C6/E6 series ofpower MOSFETs, combining theadvantages of modernsuperjunction (SJ) devices such aslow on-resistance and reducedcapacitive switching losses witheasy control of switching behaviouras well as high body dioderuggedness. The new sixthgeneration C6/E6 devicescomplements its earlier released600V C6/E6 product family where

650V blocking capability is desirablesuch as notebook adapters, solar,and other switched mode powersupply designs where extrabreakdown voltage headroom isrequired. Compared to the C3 650Vfamily, the new C6/E6 devices offerup to 20% lower energy storage inthe output capacitance, andadditionally the improved bodydiode of the C6/E6 devices showshigher ruggedness against hardcommutation and reduces the

National Semiconductor announced a new synchronous voltage-modebuck controller that drives a variety of high-current point-of-loadapplications in printers, telecom, networking or embedded computingapplications. Until today, point-of-load controllers have incorporated oneor two complex features, such as a wide input voltage range, integratedhigh-current gate drivers with adaptive dead-time, inductor DCR currentsensing or on-chip bias supply sub-regulator. National’s LM27402,

reverse recovery charge by25%. The switchingbehaviour of the C6/E6series is capable ofavoiding excessive voltageand current slopes thanksto its balanced design with tunedgate resistors. Pricing for theIPA65R280C6 / IPA65R280E6 is at$ 2.90 each for an order volume of10,000 pieces.

www.infineon.com/c6e6

650V Superjunction MOSFET

20V SynchronousBuck Controllerhowever, is an universal point-of-load controller to integrate all theseadvanced features into a single chip. A wide input voltage range of 3V to20V allows the LM27402 to interface with all intermediate bus voltages,including 3.3V, 5.0V and 12V rails. Integrated inductor DC resistancecurrent sense eliminates the need for resistive power train elements todetect output current. The current sense threshold level isprogrammable to accommodate a wide range of load current levelsusing the smallest inductor possible. Output voltage is adjustable downto 0.6V with a 1% voltage reference providing output voltage set-pointaccuracy over the full -40°C to 125°C operating temperature range. Anintegrated bias supply sub-regulator eliminates the external bias voltagesupply to simplify PCB layout. Integrated, high-current MOSFET gatedrivers with adaptive dead-time control enable efficient powerconversion with load currents up to 30A. It also supports programmablesoft-start, tracking and pre-biased start-up.

www.national.com/pf/LM/LM27402.html

Product Pages_Layout 1 28/07/2010 12:36

PRODUCT UPDATE 39


MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE

DANFOSS SILICON POWER

SILICONPOWER.DANFOSS.COM

The coolest approach to heat transferBenefit from the most cost-efficient power modules available

It cannot be stressed enough: Efficient cooling is the most important feature in regards to Power Modules. Danfoss Silicon Power’s cutting-edge ShowerPower® solution is designed to secure an even cooling across base plates, offering extended lifetime at no increase in cost. 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 siliconpower.danfoss.com to learn about Power Modules that are second to none.

ShowerPower®

1000W Aluminum CladWirewounds ResistorsStackpole announced its aluminum housed low profile wirewounds, the MHLSeries. Available in power ratings from 60W up to 1000W, this series offers ahigh power wirewound solution that is typically less than half the height oftraditional aluminum housed wirewounds. This product has standard leadwire terminations coming out of one end, and can also be provided with leadscoming out of opposite ends or with quick connect tabs. The element iscemented intothe aluminumcase whichprovides aflameproof partwith outstandingstability that isresistant tomoisture andother harshenvironmentalconditions.

The MHLSeries performance will be useful in a variety of applications and end productsthat require a low profile, high power wirewound resistor such as motorcontrols for elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, welding equipment,plasma cutters, power supplies or robotics. Pricing will vary depending on sizeand tolerance and ranges from $5 each to $70 each in minimum quantities.

www.seielect.com

V•I Chip, a subsidiary of Vicor Corp. offers a so-called half-chip PRM(tm)regulator in half-chip package (16.5 x 22.0 x 6.7mm). This converter is97% efficient at 200W with the same power density as a 400W full-sizePRM. The PRM48BH480T200A00 operates from 48V DC (38 to 55V) togenerate a regulated, adjustable 5V to 55V output. The ZVS (zero-voltage-switching) Buck/Boost topology and high switching frequency (~1MHz)operation enable high efficiency and reduced size. The half-chip PRM canbe used as a stand-alone, non-isolated voltage regulator or combined withV•I Chip’s full-chip or half-chip VTM(tm) current multipliers for a complete,isolated DC/DC solution direct to the point-of-load, with extremely fasttransient response and isolation to 2,250V DC. An external control loopand current sensor maintain regulation and enable flexibility in the designof voltage and current compensation loops for precise power delivery. AllV•I Chips are compatible with standard pick-and-place and surface mountassembly processes.

visit www.vicorpower.com/products/vichip

Half-Chip PRM Regulator


40 PRODUCT UPDATE


20V Buck RegulatorsAnalog Devices (ADI) ntroduced the ADP2302 and ADP2303 DC/DC non-synchronous switching regulators for 2 A (ADP2302) and 3 A (ADP2303)output at inputs up to 20V. They support a wide input voltage range from3V to 20V to accommodate a diversity of point-of-load applications,including consumer electronics and industrial and communicationsinfrastructure equipment. The output voltage is adjustable from 0.8V to80% of input voltage. The regulators’ current-mode, fixed-frequency PWMarchitecture provides high stability and transient response. Under lightloads, the regulators automatically operate in PFM (pulse frequencymodulation) to reduce light load losses. A precision-enable pin allows theregulator to be turned on at a precise input voltage for sequencing ofmultiple devices. These power management switching regulators aresupported by the ADIsimPower(tm) design tool, which makes selectingcomponents, simulating power supply performance and buildingevaluation circuits easy and fast.

www.analog.com

XP Power announced the MTH100 hold-upmodule designed for maintaining short-termpower to critical avionic and vetronic systemsin the event of power dropouts. Thesemodules significantly reduce the amount ofbulk hold capacitance required, often by asmuch as 80%. The MTH100 is designed foruse in systems with an input current up to10A. The charger output voltage can beprogrammed allowing it to work with bothmilitary and industrial DC/DC converters.Accommodating a wide input range of +10 to+40V DC, the MTH100 module automaticallydetects the input drop-out and initiatesextended hold-up utilizing capacitors chargedto a high voltage. Charging the capacitors to ahigher voltage than the nominal system voltage

of 28, typically 36 or 45 V DC, significantlyreduces the amount of capacitance required.Consider a power supply system that needs tooperate through a power dropout of 200mswhile supporting a 30W load withoutinterruption using a DC/DC converter with aminimum input of 10V - without a hold-upmodule, if the power dropout occurs at 16Vinput, the system would need over 90,000µFof capacitance. Using the MTH100 module, thesystem needs only 7,000µF or 92% less.Measuring 40 x 26 x 12.7mm, the base

plate cooled MTH100 module is typically 98%efficient and operates across the temperaturerange of -55°C to 100°C.

www.xppower.com

10A Hold-Up Module

RAD-Hard Ultra-Low DropOut Voltage Regulators

International Rectifier introduced the first in aseries of high current, ultra-low dropout (ULDO)RAD-Hard(tm) hybrid linear voltage regulators forspace applications including satellites and launchvehicles. The space level screened devices,

designed for point-of-load and postDC/DC power conversion, offer alow dropout voltage of 0.4V at full3A load. The new regulatorsfeature a SOI CMOS Regulator IC,

latch-up and SEU immunity, as well as outstandingTID and ELDRS testing in excess of 100K rad withnegligible effect on regulation tolerance. Inaddition, the devices provide fast transientresponse, timed latch-off over-current protection

and internal thermal protection, and on/off controlvia shutdown pin. The new ULDO devices’adjustable regulators provide output voltages aslow as 0.8V compatible with the newer FPGAused in space equipment. Pricing ranges from$600 for the unscreened non-flight modelIRUH330125AP to $1290 for the IRUH330125AKeach in 100-unit quantities.

www.irf.com

300W Quarter-BrickIsolated DC/DC ConvertersMurata PowerSolutions extendsits HPQ range ofquarter-brickisolated DC/DCconverters withthe HPQ-12/25-D48, a 300Wmodel with 12Voutput. It featuresa wide 2:1 inputrange of 36V to75V and output of 12V, plus high output current of up to 25A at highefficiency up to 94.5%. For systems requiring controlled startup/shutdown,remote on/off control is available with negative or positive polarity. Users canalso trim the output voltage up or down by ±10% with an external trimresistor. It also offers input-output isolation with basic insulation up to 2250VDC. In addition, with a low profile open frame package, the HPQ-12/25-D48operates within the industrial temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.

www.murata-ps.com


WEBSITE LOCATOR 41


AC/DC Connverters

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

Diodes

Discrete Semiconductors

Drivers ICS

www.microsemi.comMicrosemiTel: 001 541 382 8028

Fuses

GTO/Triacs

Hall Current Sensors

IGBTs

DC/DC Connverters

DC/DC Connverters


www.power.ti.comTexas InstrumentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399


www.neutronltd.co.ukNeutron LtdTel: +44 (0)1460 242200

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


www.mark5.comMark 5 LtdTel: +44 (0)2392 618616


www.dgseals.comdgseals.comTel: 001 972 931 8463



www.digikey.com/europeDigi-KeyTel: +31 (0)53 484 9584




www.protocol-power.comProtocol Power ProductsTel: +44 (0)1582 477737

Busbars

www.auxel.comAuxel FTGTel: +44 (0)7714 699967

Capacitors

Certification

www.powersemiconductors.co.ukPower Semiconductors LtdTel: +44 (0)1727 811110

www.powersemiconductors.co.ukPower Semiconductors LtdTel: +44 (0)1727 811110

Connectors & Terminal Blocks


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

Website Locator_p41-42 Website Locator 28/07/2010 14:37

42 WEBSITE LOCATOR


Power Modules

Power Protection Products

Power Substrates

Resistors & Potentiometers

RF & Microwave TestEquipment.

Simulation Software

Thyristors

Smartpower Devices

Voltage References

Power ICs

Switches & Relays

Switched Mode PowerSupplies

Switched Mode PowerSupplies

Thermal Management &Heatsinks


www.rubadue.comRubadue Wire Co., Inc.Tel. 001 970-351-6100












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



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

www.power.ti.comTexas InstrummentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399


www.dau-at.comDau GmbH & Co KGTel: +43 3143 23510

www.denka.co.jpDenka Chemicals GmbHTel: +49 (0)211 13099 50

www.lairdtech.comLaird Technologies LtdTel: 00 44 1342 315044

www.power.ti.comTexas InstrummentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399



www.isabellenhuette.deIsabellenhütte Heusler GmbH KGTel: +49/(27 71) 9 34 2 82

ADVERTISERS INDEX

ABB 7

Allegro Microsystems 19

Cornell Dubilier 21

CT Concepts 29

Danfoss 39

DFA Media Ltd 31

Digikey IFC

Drives and Controls 2012 37

Electronica 2010 15

Fuji 16

HKR GmbH 34

International Rectifier OBC

Microsemi Power 23

Mitsubishi 4

National Semiconductor 11

Plant & Works 2012 IBC

Toshiba Europe 9

Mosfets

Magnetic Materials/Products

Optoelectronic Devices


Packaging & Packaging Materials






www.biaspower.comBias Power, LLCTel: 001 847 215 2427

www.digikey.com/europeDigi-Key Tel: +31 (0)53 484 9584


www.digikey.com/europeDigi-Key Tel: +31 (0)53 484 9584






Website Locator_p41-42 Website Locator 28/07/2010 14:37

INDUSTRIAL

MAINTENANCE

PREMISES &

FACILITIES

MANAGEMENT

NEC, BIRMINGHAM APRIL 17-19

2012Tel: 01732 370340www.pwe-expo.com

HEALTH

&

SAFETY

ENERGY, THE

ENVIRONMENT

& WATER

HANDLING

&

STORAGE

EXHIBITIONSolutions for Industry

ibc_PEE_2010_ibc_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 12:54 Page 1

Part Number Package Input VoltageMaximum

CurrentMaximum Frequency

Additional Features

IR3843WM 5x6 PQFN 1.5V to 16V 2A 1.5MHz OV detection, Sequencing




IR3832WM 5x6 PQFN 1.5V to 16V 4A 1.5MHz OV detection,DDR tracking

IR3831WM 5x6 PQFN 1.5V to 16V 8A 1.5MHz OV detection,DDR tracking

FEATURES:

• Wide input voltage range (1.5V to 16V with 5V bias)

• Small footprint (5x6mm) and low height (0.9mm)

• Programmable frequency up to 1.5MHz

• 1% accurate 0.7V reference voltage

• Programmable hiccup current limit and soft start

• Enhanced pre-bias start up

• Thermal protection

• Enable pin with voltage monitoring capability

• Power Good output for over-voltage and under-voltage detection

• Optimized solutions for sequencing (IR3840/1/2/3W) and DDR memory tracking (IR3831/32W)

• -40˚C to 125˚C operating junction temperature (Tj)

• Pin compatible with Gen2 SupIRBuck products

For more information call +49 (0) 6102 884 311 or visit us at www.irf.com

IR’s Gen2.1 SupIRBuck™ devices save time, space and energy for your POL design

Exceed 96% Peak Effi ciency With Gen2.1SupIRBuck™ Integrated Voltage Regulators

SupIRBuck™ is a trademark of International Rectifi er

828384858687

Effic

ienc

y (%

)

8889909192939495

9697

21 3

1.8V 3.3V 5.0V

4 5 6 7

Load Current (A)

IR3840W Efficiency vs. Load Current at 600kHz fs, 12Vin

8 9 10 11 12

IR384XW/ 3XW SupIRBuck™ FAMILY IMPROVEMENTS

• Added Over Voltage Detection (PGOOD window comparator)

• Shorter dead-time to reduce power loss

• Reduced SYNC FET RDS(on)

maximum value for better over-current limit accuracy

• New current options

THE POWER MANAGEMENT LEADER

44_PEE_2010_44_PEE_2010 28/07/2010 14:15 Page 1

document38

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