Microchip Adds Drivers for Large FETs and IGBTs

Microchip Technology Inc. now offers the TC4451 and TC4452 MOSFET driver circuits. The new drivers offer peak output currents of 12A, making them the highest-current MOSFET drivers offered by Microchip, and among the highest in the industry.

These devices feature latch-up immunity and a fast drive speed of 15 nF in 27 nS, which equip them with the ruggedness, high- power switching speeds and sharp edges needed to drive large MOSFETs and IGBTs in switch mode power supplies and other high-speed, high-current switching applications.

The 12A peak output currents of the TC4451 and TC4452 improve power supply efficiency and simplify drive circuits. The devices' latch-up immunity provides resistance to the ground bounce and negative input transients that cause false triggering in noisy environments. Additionally, the TC445X drivers' high drive speed of 15 nF in 27 nS enables rapid charge and discharge of the gates of very large transistors in switching power supplies, which conserves power and lowers system costs.

"Today's power supply system designers face seemingly contradictory demands to develop systems with higher load currents and speeds, but also with smaller external components," said Jim Mack, senior product marketing engineer for Microchip's Analog and Interface Products Division. "The circuits that drive the power MOSFETs in such systems must also reflect these attributes. With their ability to rapidly charge and discharge the gates of even the largest MOSFETs in power supply systems, the TC4451 and TC4452 drivers help designers to meet all of these requirements while keeping costs low."

The TC445X drivers are designed for industrial applications that utilize power supplies, as well as motor control applications. They directly drive small, DC motors, such as those found in home appliances, automobiles and power tools. Further, the devices contain the power-transistor and level-shift circuitry needed for motor control applications, thereby reducing the number of external system components needed and lowering overall system costs.

Pricing for the TC445X MOSFET drivers in the 8-pin SOIC and PDIP package options is $1.44 each in 10,000-unit quantities. Pricing for the devices in the 8-pin DFN package is $1.64 each in 10,000-unit quantities, and $1.81 each in 10,000-unit quantities for the 5-pin TO-220 package. These devices are available now.