Magnachip Unwraps 500-600 V Super-Junction MOSFETs

Magnachip Semiconductor has expanded its power semiconductor portfolio by adding 15 Gen6 E6 super-junction MOSFETs for consumer and computing power applications. The series is built around low on-resistance, low gate charge, and reduced ringing, a combination the company credits with the devices’ low switching loss.

The lineup leans toward 600 V. Thirteen devices carry that rating across five on-resistance classes from 180 mω to 900 mω, while two 500 V parts round out the series at 280 mω and 380 mω. Datasheets also specify an integrated gate-source Zener diode for ESD protection.

Gen6 E6 super-junction MOSFET packages. Image used courtesy of Magnachip

Package Choice Without Changing Device Class

Four of the five 600 V on-resistance classes—180, 280, 360, and 580 mΩ—are offered in all three packages, with matching drain current and gate charge in each, letting a designer align thermal and board-mounting requirements with the on-resistance the design actually needs. Only the 900 mΩ part is confined to a single package, DPAK.

DPAK (TO-252) is the surface-mount option for space-constrained boards. TO-220FA is the through-hole choice for general designs with heat-dissipation requirements. TO-220SFA widens the lead pitch to 4.25 mm for 3.25 mm of creepage, which Magnachip positions for electrical isolation in polluted environments.

The key device specifications are:

• Voltage classes: 500 V (550 V at T_j,max) and 600 V (650 V at T_j,max)
• On-resistance: 180, 280, 360, 580, and 900 mΩ max at 600 V; 280 and 380 mΩ max at 500 V
• Gate charge: 6.7 to 23 nC, falling as on-resistance rises
• Packages: DPAK (TO-252), TO-220FA, TO-220SFA
• ESD protection: integrated gate-source Zener diode
• Reliability: all parts 100% avalanche tested
• Operating range: -55 °C to +150 °C

Matching Devices to Power Stages

Magnachip’s selection guidance splits the series by converter stage. For the PFC stage of a TV power board, the company points to the 180 mΩ class, citing thermal management and low output capacitance energy as the governing considerations.

The half-bridge LLC stage on the same board falls into the 360 mω to 900 mω class, with the company highlighting light-load efficiency and EMI suppression. Boost PFC in PC power supplies falls between the two at 180 mΩ to 360 mΩ, with dv/dt ruggedness and low gate charge called out.

Magnachip maps E6 on-resistance classes to specific converter stages across TV and PC power boards. Image used courtesy of Magnachip

The company tested a 600 V, 280 mΩ E6 device in a TO-220SFA package in the PFC stage of a TV SMPS. At 100 VAC input and under the same test conditions, Magnachip reported the part operated about 5.3% cooler than its previous-generation device, a margin that can go back into the thermal budget or the heatsink.

Built for Balance, Not a Single Headline Spec

According to Magnachip, the design problem is one of competing constraints as consumer and computing systems shrink. Voltage ratings, on-resistance values, and package requirements vary with system power and PCB constraints, making device selection a decision rather than a lookup.

The company positions the E6 series as balancing thermal, switching, and EMI performance rather than pushing any one parameter to an extreme. The devices can manage switching losses and oscillation while retaining design margin for voltage transients and avalanche conditions, which in a compact power stage means lower thermal stress and less switching noise without giving up headroom when the line misbehaves.

That margin is specified. The 500 V and 600 V parts are rated to 550 V and 650 V, respectively, at maximum junction temperature, so breakdown capability holds as the stage warms rather than eroding, and every device is 100% avalanche tested.

Applications and Availability

Magnachip is pitching E6 at four buckets: TV switch-mode power supplies, notebook adapters, PC power supplies, and general consumer and industrial designs below 1 kW. The common thread is a power stage that must shrink without getting hotter or noisier.

The 15 E6 devices are in mass production now. Full specifications are available in the E6 series product brief and on Magnachip’s 500 V and 600 V super-junction MOSFET product pages.

One Platform, Two Directions

E6 is the second Gen6 branch Magnachip has released this year. In June, the company brought the same generation to AI server power and EV charging at 36 mΩ and 37 mΩ—roughly five times lower on-resistance than E6’s lowest class—in a package built for high-current work.

One process technology, pulled in two directions: one branch chasing power density, the other chasing package coverage for cost-driven boards. Whether Gen6 keeps splitting along those lines is the more interesting question than any single on-resistance figure.