powerZONE Products for the week of August 9, 2004
Advanced Power Technology Says . . .
APTM120UM70D: MOSFET/IGBT Power Modules Dedicated
to ZCS
Advanced Power Technology Europe, a leader in power module technology is pleased to announce a new product line of standard power modules for high voltage Zero Current Switching applications.
Switching losses in hard switching mode are the main limitation to increase operating frequencies. Higher switching frequency leads to significant size and weight reduction of passive components like capacitors, transformers, and inductors used in power converters. One way to increase the switching frequency is to reduce the switching losses by adopting soft switching techniques such as ZVS (zero voltage switching) and ZCS.
These new modules focus on ZCS soft switching operation where power switches are actively turned on while switching losses are reduced due to a commutation inductance connected in series with the switch. Turn-off losses are minimized with switch current amplitude close to 0 Amps. A power device with a series high voltage fast diode is the common switch configuration for ZCS application.
1000V and 1200V MOSFET standard power modules are offered in a single switch configuration with currents from 86A to 160A. These modules use AlN substrates for best thermal performance. 1200V IGBT standard power modules are also offered in a single switch configuration. The APTGU180U120D is based upon APT PowerMOS 7 PT IGBTs and is specified for 1200V and 180A. Other IGBT single switch modules are available with fast 1200V NPT IGBTs offering 200A and 300A current capability.
1000 and 1200 volt MOSFET standard power modules are also offered in
a phase leg configuration with currents of 37 to 49 amps.
analogZONE Says...
This announcement is for a slew of products using zero current switching (ZCS) which allows higher conversion frequencies and dramatically reduces the demands on external components such as capacitors, inductors and transformers. Operating frequencies for the Power MOS 7 MOSFETs can be above 200 kHz.
The range of products includes parts that are IGBTs in the form of a single switch with series diodes rated to 1200 V with currents up to 300 A (at 80°C); there are also MOSFET versions of the single switch with ratings of 1000 V and 1200 V and currents from 37 A to 160 A. Rds(on) numbers range from 45 millohms to 100 milliohms; the last group includes a pair of MOSFET phase leg devices with series diodes rated at 1000 V and 1200 V with current ratings of 49 A and 37 A.
As an example we can look at the APTM120UM70D, a 1200-V 126-A (at 80°C) single switch with series diodes MOSFET power module. Like all the other parts the module is in an SP6 package which is 108 mm x 62 mm x 17 mm. The source and drain have large M5 (5 mm) connectors on the main part of the underside while the three other connections (gate, Kelvin drain, and Kelvin source) are smaller and on the edge of the underside. The package weighs 280 g.
Rds(on) is 70 milliohms with Vgs at 10 V and with a 85.5-A drain current. The total gate charge at 171 A is 1650 nC and that of the gate-source is 192 nC and for the gate-drain it is 1074 nC. The inductive switching turn-on delay time is 20 ns at 171 A, 800 V and 125°C.
The series diode ratings have a forward voltage of about 2 V at high current and a reverse recovery time les than 500 ns at all temperatures. Stray inductance is low and thermal performance is optimized using an AIN substrate
This is an unique family of modules and will be extremely successful in high-current, high-voltage markets and they are extremely rugged for industrial conditions in welders, UPS units, induction heating, heavy-duty power supplies and battery chargers. The voltage ratings allow operation above European 3-phase voltage levels.
Products across the whole range are in production with samples available. All are, as noted, in the SP6 package and prices range from $68 to $159 for 1000-piece lots.