Infineon adds Compact 2EDL EiceDRIVER Supporting a Multitude of Power Applications
Next week at the PCIM 2013 trade show for power electronics, Infineon Technologies AG will present the new 2EDL EiceDRIVER™ compact half-bridge gate driver, which is intended for applications with a blocking voltage of 600 Volts. Equipped with a very fast bootstrap diode and resistor, the components enable high efficiency in a very compact construction. This makes them suited for space-saving installations in consumer electronics as well as household appliances. They can also be used in fans, pumps, engines and forklifts. The new family of driver ICs, designed for use with power semiconductors such as in the newest CoolMOS™ generation, exhibit improved switching behavior which reduces energy loss in a multitude of power applications.
“With the introduction of the Compact products, we can offer an in-depth driver IC program that differentiates by application as well functionality. The EiceDriver™ Compact is aimed directly at the mass market in consumer as well as industrial areas,†said Oliver Hellmund, responsible for marketing the EiceDRIVER™ at Infineon. Depending on current strength and packaging, the price per component ranges from €0.31 to €0.61 for orders of 10,000 units. Along with the Compact class, the EiceDRIVER™ family also includes the EiceDRIVER™ Safe, which is designed exclusively to meet high demand on security and reliability in the industrial market. The EiceDRIVER™ Enhanced class offers improved functionality in the industrial and, to a degree, the consumer markets.
The seven devices in the new2EDL EiceDriverâ„¢ Compact class are designed for use with IGBTs as well as with MOSFETs. They are available in DSO-8 and DSO-14 packages. The output current for the new devices is set to 0.5 or 2.3 amps. With the integrated low-resistance and very fast bootstrap diode, the 2EDL EiceDRIVERâ„¢ sets new standards in the market of driver ICs with more than two amp output current strength. The bandwidth of the EiceDRIVERâ„¢ range enables a variety of applications. Driver ICs in the DSO-14 assembly also have extended creepage. This means they meet requirements for higher protection classes and can even be used in industrial applications.
The level-shift in the new EiceDRIVERâ„¢ Compact series is based on Silicon-on-Insulator technology. This places the active transistor layer on the top of an insulator, which results in outstanding robustness against latch-up effects when the component is exposed to extreme temperature and voltage conditions. In a latch-up effect, a semiconductor enters an uncontrolled low-resistance state. This can lead to a short circuit or thermal overload and destroy the component. In addition, the coreless transformer technology introduced by Infineon will also be available for the new Compact class. This makes faster switching operations possible without any loss of performance.
Samples of the 2EDL EiceDRIVERâ„¢ Compact class are in stock; a corresponding customer evaluation board can be ordered now and will be available within the next few weeks. Products can be ordered starting in August 2013.
