CIE Components in Electronics
onsemi, a specialist in intelligent power and sensing technologies, has introduced “EliteSiC” as the name of its silicon carbide (SiC) family. Last week, the company showcased three new members of the family – the 1700 V EliteSiC MOSFET and two 1700 V avalanche-rated EliteSiC Schottky diodes – at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The new devices provide reliable, high-efficiency performance for energy infrastructure and industrial drive applications and highlight onsemi’s position as a leader in industrial silicon carbide solutions.
With the 1700 V EliteSiC MOSFET (NTH4L028N170M1), onsemi delivers higher breakdown voltage (BV) SiC solutions, required for high-power industrial applications. The two 1700 V avalanche-rated EliteSiC Schottky diodes (NDSH25170A, NDSH10170A) allow designers to achieve stable high-voltage operation at elevated temperatures while offering high efficiency enabled by SiC.
“By providing best-in-class efficiency with reduced power losses, the new 1700 V EliteSiC devices reinforce the high standards of superior performance and quality for products in our EliteSiC family as well as further expand the depth and breadth of onsemi’s EliteSiC,” said Simon Keeton, executive vice president and general manager, Power Solutions Group, onsemi. “Together with our end-to-end SiC manufacturing capabilities, onsemi offers the technology and supply assurance to meet the needs of industrial energy infrastructure and industrial drive providers.”
Renewable energy applications are consistently moving to higher voltages with solar systems from 1100 V to 1500 V DC Buses. To support this change, customers require MOSFETs with a higher BV. The new 1700 V EliteSiC MOSFET offers a maximum Vgs range of -15 V/25 V, making it suitable for fast switching applications where gate voltages are increasing to -10V, delivering increased system reliability.
At a test condition of 1200 V at 40 Amps, the 1700 V EliteSiC MOSFET achieves a gate charge (Qg) of 200 nC – which is claimed to be market-leading compared to equivalent competitive devices that are closer to 300 nC. A low Qg is critical to achieving high efficiency in fast switching, high-power renewable energy applications.
At a BV rating of 1700 V, the EliteSiC Schottky diode devices offer improved margin between the maximum reverse voltage (VRRM) and the peak repetitive reverse voltage of the diode. The new devices are also said to provide excellent reverse leakage performance, with a maximum reverse current (IR) of just 40 µA at 25°C and 100 µA at 175°C – significantly better than competitive devices that are often rated at 100 µA at 25°C, according to onsemi.
