New Power FETs Deliver More Efficiency and Power Density

Power field-effect transistors (FET) are the building blocks of modern power electronics, and Infineon Technologies, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation, Nexperia, and Navitas Semiconductor have all added to their power FET portfolios.

How are MOSFETs used for high-voltage needs? Here’s an example. Video used courtesy of Nexperia

Infineon and Navitas have released new wide bandgap devices (GaN and SiC) that offer higher integration levels, better efficiency, and improved power density for the most demanding high-voltage applications.

Using traditional silicon processes, Toshiba and Nexperia have released new MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) devices that move the needle on efficiency, switching performance, and package size for high- and medium-voltage applications.  
 

NextPower 80/100 V Power MOSFETs. Image used courtesy of Nexperia

Wide Bandgap Releases 

Consumer and industrial electronics devices continue to get smaller and lighter, pushing boundaries for more compact designs and circuit densities. In response, Infineon Technologies is expanding its gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio with the integrated CoolGaN Drive product family. The integrated chip sets include the CoolGaN Drive 700 V G5 single switch that integrates a single GaN transistor with a corresponding gate drive in a PQFN package. The CoolGaN Drive HB 600 V G5 combines two transistors with high- and low-side gate drivers in an LGA package.     

According to Johannes Schoiswohl, Senior Vice President & General Manager, GaN Systems Business Line Head at Infineon, the integrated GaN chip sets are evidence of Infineon’s increased efforts to offer its customers solutions with higher integration and power density levels to meet next-generation design challenges.

CoolGaN Drive product family. Image used courtesy of Infineon

To address the requirements of increasingly power-dense AI data center power supplies, electric vehicle charging, energy storage, and solar solutions, Navitas Semiconductor has extended its portfolio of Gen-3 “Fast” (G3F) 650 V SiC MOSFETs with a thermally-enhanced, surface-mount TOLL (transistor outline leadless) package.

According to Navitas, the surface-mount TOLL package offers a 9% reduction in junction-to-case thermal resistance (RTH,J-C), 30% smaller PCB footprint, 50% lower height, and 60% smaller size than a conventional D2PAK-7L package, allowing for significantly higher power densities.  

The new TOLL packaged SiC FET is used in the company’s 4.5 kW AI power system reference design, which the company claims is the highest power density AI power supply in the world.  

Gen-3 650 V SiC MOSFET in TOLL packaging. Image used courtesy of Navitas

Silicon MOSFET Developments

Toshiba is adding to their 600 V N-channel power MOSFETs DTMOSVI series with a new super junction structure.  

According to Toshiba, the enhanced gate design of these nine devices reduces the switches’ on-resistances by 13%. Combined with a lower gate-drain charge, the MOSFET series’ net figure of merit is improved by 52%.

The enhanced FETs are ideal for high-efficiency switching power supplies in server banks and solar power inverter circuits.   

DTMOSVI series, 600V N-channel power MOSFETs. Image used courtesy of Toshiba

Nexperia has released new NextPower 80/100 V MOSFET series variants in LFPAK packaging with industry-standard 5x6 mm and 8x8 mm footprints. 

In addition to the new packaging, the devices also tout improvements in on-resistance (RDson) and reverse recovery charge (Qrr).  

Reverse recovery timing for a NextPower 80/100 V MOSFET. Image used courtesy of Nexperia

According to Nexperia, while many MOSFET manufacturers prioritize lower gate charges to improve switching performance, Nexperia believes Qrr to be equally important due to its effect on signal spiking during switching and the resulting generated electromagnetic interference.