New Industry Products

FETs Enable Smaller, Greener Automotive Power Supplies

December 15, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

STMicroelectronics has introduced a new family of high-voltage N-channel Power MOSFETs for automotive applications. These AEC-Q101-qualified devices are built using ST's state-of-the-art MDmesh™ DM2 super-junction technology with fast-recovery diode. The devices feature a breakdown voltage over the 400V-650V range and are housed in D2PAK, TO-220, and TO-247 packages.

The 400V and 500V devices are the industry's first AEC-Q101-qualified devices at these breakdown voltages, while the 600V and 650V devices offer higher performance than competitive products. All of these devices are tailored for automotive applications that require an integrated fast body diode, softer commutation behavior, and back-to-back gate-source Zener protection. They are suited for full-bridge zero-voltage-switching topologies.

ST’s new Power MOSFETs offer the best performance in both Trr / Qrr and softness factor in the automotive market, while they are also among the best in turn-off energy (Eoff) at high currents, improving efficiency of automotive power supplies. In addition, excellent fast body-diode performance reduces EMI issues, allowing the use of smaller passive-filtering components. In this way, MDmesh™ DM2 technology enables “greener” power design by reducing wasted energy, maximizing the efficiency, and minimizing the form factor of the end products.

Key technical features of ST’s new automotive Power MOSFETs include: Fast-recovery body diode; Extremely low gate charge and input capacitance of 44nC and 1850pF, respectively, for a 500V device in D2PAK; Low on-resistance; Best Reverse Recovery Time (Trr): 120ns at 28A for a 600V device in TO-247 and 135ns at 48A for a 650V device in TO-247; and Gate to Source Zener-protected Prices in quantities of 1,000 units range from US$3.00 to US$10.00, depending on breakdown voltage and package type.