Author:
Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD
Date
03/03/2024
PDF
Qorvo has launched four modules featuring its SiC cascode technology.
Wide-bandgap materials have revolutionized the power industry over the past few years. However, that remarkable market penetration could have been a lot deeper if the components were easier to design into products. Initially driving them was an issue, as power designers were not used to dealing with the high speed switching they offered and the problems that it introduced. However, those issues have mainly been solved due to the introduction of dedicated gate drivers, either as discrete components, or in some cases as cascodes – devices that integrated the gate driver into the package of the wide bandgap device. One of the companies that pioneered the implementation of cascode technology for SiC devices was UnitedSiC. Part of Qorvo since 2021, the company has continued to expand the range of SiC cascode devices that it offers, and has now introduced its first modules featuring those devices. The company believes that cascode technology remains the best way to implement SiC technology, and offers many benefits to engineers including solving many of the other barriers to adoption for the technology.
Explaining the reasons behind the launch, Qorvo applications engineer, Mike Zhu said, “Modules can replace multiple discretes, reducing system design time greatly. They are flexible and allow the customer to use full solutions that meet their design requirements. Modules help the customer by taking care of isolation as it is already included. Finally, modules have heat management integrated. All of these features help designers take full advantage of the benefits of SIC. The module package is industry standard and pin compatible with other suppliers for second sourcing if required”.
According to Zhu, the modules will offer significant performance advantages over similar modules from competitors, he expands, “We have very low RDSon, providing switching losses that can be up to 74% lower than competitor parts with the same current and voltage rating in the same package. Resistance from the junction to the case is also very low as we use silver sintering for the die attach, providing six times better thermal conductivity than solder die attach. Together that results in a better thermal performance and a temperature at the junction up to 10% lower than the competitor part. Beyond the thermal and electrical performance benefits we also have power cycling and reliability benefits. Silicon has better power cycling than SIC because the silicon material is softer and less rigid, meaning it can take more thermal and mechanical stress during the expansion and contraction it experiences while power cycling. The silver sintering is also more tolerable to thermal and mechanical stresses, which also improves power cycling”.
The devices launched by Quorvo at APEC are four 1200V SiC modules - two half-bridge and two full-bridge - in a compact E1B package with RDS(on) starting at 9.4mΩ. Qorvo’s suite of design tools like its FET-Jet Calculator and QSPICE software can assist in product selection and performance simulation.
