High-Voltage Devices: What’s New in the Market?
These devices aim to reimagine the design of high-voltage systems.
When designing power electronics, there’s always a good chance that designers will encounter high voltage at some point – particularly in industrial, automotive, or enterprise settings. Meeting the requirements of these kinds of circuits requires the use of specialized high-voltage devices to withstand the circuit conditions of the given application.
As high-voltage devices are so crucial to power electronics, new products are constantly hitting the market. Recent advancements in this field have led to device developments that offer improved efficiency, lower power loss, and enhanced noise suppression. This article highlights three such innovations from ROHM, Allegro MicroSystems, and Toshiba.
ROHM 600 V Super Junction MOSFETs
To improve power efficiency and reduce noise in high voltage systems, ROHM has released a 600 V super junction MOSFET.
Specifically, ROHM launched three models of MOSFETs as an addition to the company’s preexisting PrestoMOS lineup. The devices are part of the R60xxRNx series, specifically for inverters driving small motors in appliances like refrigerators and ventilation fans.
ROHM’s new products reduce noise in MOSFET applications. Image used courtesy of ROHM
A major design goal for ROHM was to improve power efficiency and reduce noise associated with MOSFET switching. To this end, the models utilize a super junction architecture to allow high-speed reverse recovery and minimize switching noise.
According to ROHM, the devices achieve an industry-best reverse recovery time of 40 ns and reduce noise characteristics by about 15 dB. As a result of this reverse recovery time, ROHM claims the devices reduce switching losses by 30% compared to general products.
Allegro MicroSystems Isolated Gate Driver IC
In a similar effort, Allegro MicroSystems launched a high-voltage Power-Thru isolated gate driver.
The AHV85110 is an isolated gate driver IC designed explicitly to drive GaN FETs. Notably, the device combines an isolated gate driver and isolated power supply into a single compact package, enabling a 50% smaller footprint and 40% efficiency improvement compared to competitor offerings. Another benefit of this integration is tighter systems coupling, improving EMI performance and decreasing system complexity.
A functional block diagram of the AHV85110. Image used courtesy of Allegro Microsystem
Other noteworthy specs of the AHV85110 include a drive voltage of up to 13.2 V, separate pull-up and pull-down output pins, a 50 ns propagation delay, and qualification for AEC-Q100 Grade 2. Potential applications include AC/DC converters, EV chargers, and other industrial uses.
Toshiba 3rd Generation 650 V SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes
Toshiba has launched its third generation of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) for industrial equipment.
The TRSxxx65H series is the second generation from Toshiba to utilize a junction barrier Schottky structure. This generation is said to optimize this architecture by introducing a metal that optimizes the junction barrier Schottky structure.
Toshiba’s third generation 650 V Schottky barrier diode. Image used courtesy of Toshiba
Toshiba claims the products achieve an industry-leading low forward voltage of 1.2 V, 17% lower than the 1.45 V of the previous generation. Other notable specs of the family include a repetitive peak reverse voltage of 650 V, forward current up to 12 A, and total capacitive charge as low as 6.5 nC (VR=400 V, f=1 MHz).
Intended applications include switching power supplies, EV charging stations, and photovoltaic inverters.
