Power Semiconductors

May 2021
A gate driver solution for EMI mitigation without compromise

Click image to enlarge

It is not just efficiency that benefits from faster switching. There are further advantages, including a reduced BoM, and as efficient designs give off less heat, they don’t require such large heatsinks, leading to smaller and cheaper system solutions. However, high switching speeds have a downside that can of
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/18/2021
Server / Telecom - Si and WBG solutions: Part 3 of 4 Editorial Series Sponsored by Infineon; Towards Efficient, Reliable, and Cost-Effective Power Supply Units for 5G Telecom Rectifiers Applications Using Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Key features required for AC-DC SMPS in the latest generation of telecom applications

The 5G spectrum has been released in several countries worldwide and already in commercial use. 5G is accelerating and promises to change our lives thanks to large bandwidth, massive connection, and ultra-low latency. On top of this network evolution, we need to consider the advancements in the so-called mobile ed
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/07/2021
Server / Telecom - Si and WBG solutions: Part 4 of 4 Editorial Series Sponsored by Infineon; Design Guidelines for High Power Server and Telecom Power Supplies Use-Cases

Click image to enlarge

Table 1a: Key performance indicators of silicon (Si)-based superjunction technology CoolMOS™ C7 compared to SiC MOSFET CoolSiC™ and GaN HEMT technology CoolGaN™

Introduction With the recent introduction of active wide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductors on a broad commercial scale, the number of use cases is rapidly increasing. High power applications such as power supplies for server and telecom have been among the first adaptors driving acceptance and early success stories.
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/07/2021
Server / Telecom - Si and WBG solutions: Part 2 of 4 Editorial Series Sponsored by Infineon; How to Reap the Benefits of  Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors in Server Applications

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Comparison of temperature dependency of the on-state resistance for different semiconductor technologies, such as Infineon’s CoolMOS™, CoolSiC™, and CoolGaN™

The emergence of cloud-based internet services, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency has initiated a strong growth of processing power in data centers worldwide. Since the data centers have also been facing rising electricity and real estate prices, there is a clear trend towards highly efficient and co
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/06/2021
Packaging, Functional Integration Driving Semiconductor Growth
The over $42 billion global power semiconductor market (according to a recent Research and Markets report) is seeing incremental growth in traditional silicon power semiconductors like rectifiers and diodes, TVS devices, silicon MOSFETS and IGBTs. In the wide bandgap (WBG) segment, silicon carbide (SiC) is relatively sm
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Triple Bucks Plus a Boost Controller to Meet Tough Requirements

Click image to enlarge

Figures 1: Cold crank-tolerant automotive supply with three regulated outputs. Three bucks are powered with a boost preregulator (VOUT4), yielding precise regulation for all three outputs through a VBAT cold crank event (also shown)

Automobiles present space-constrained, harsh environments that demand reliable and compact power supplies for increasingly complex electronics systems. The LT8603 compact regulator is a robust solution that combines two high voltage 2.5 A and 1.5 A buck regulators, a low voltage 1.8 A buck regulator, and a boost co
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Which Airflow Direction for Power Supply Fan Cooling?

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Genesys+ DC programmable power supply

With integral, built-in fans some power supplies have the fan blow cool air into the power supply and others have the fan extract the hot air. The option to have the power supply manufacturer reverse the direction of the fan may be available. This may be of interest to the user when the system and power supply ai
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Powering Patient-Connected Medical Devices

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Medical power system with secondary DC-DC

Many medical products are likely to come into contact with patients or operators during normal use or may require a sensor or device to be directly applied to a patient to perform their function. These ‘applied parts’ must be suitably isolated from any power source and ground to prevent current flow and co
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
MOSFET for Hot-Swap Applications

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Multi-module Telecom-server Hot-Swap Applications

When hot-swap circuits are used in high-availability systems, the operation will not be interrupted if there is a need to replace or add attentional units for system operation. Figure 1 shows that hot-swapping can often involve a large transient current (up to hundreds of amperes) to charge the output capacitor
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Mitigating Heat Problems in Modern Computer Power Systems

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. LT3033 typical application

Each successive generation of computing systems demands more total power and lower supply voltages than its predecessor, challenging power supply designers to keep pace with higher output current in a small area. At high power densities with low output voltages, the problem of heat dissipation rises to the top of
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Powering 5G

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Base station energy consumption rise (adapted from Huawei data)

We have all been looking forward to 5G mobile communications and the promised benefits – faster downloads at speeds theoretically greater than 50Gps, 50x lower latency than 4G, the opening up of the IoT for home and factory automation and of course control of autonomous vehicles. By 2025, the resulting data tr
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Foundations of Quiescent Current in Linear Power Systems

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1. Common battery-powered applications that use LDOs

With many portable medical devices, consumer electronics and building automation products now relying exclusively on battery power, design engineers are increasingly looking to reduce power consumption to get the most they can from their batteries. Figure 1 depicts some of the most common applications for which
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Shrinking the Physical Layouts of Power Systems Designs

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Infineon Technologies CoolSiC 1200V SiC Trench MOSFETs support higher switching frequencies with reduced heat dissipation in a space-saving package. (Source: Mouser Electronics)

Business magnate, industrial designer, and engineer Elon Musk is aiming to land humans on Mars by 2026. Musk’s vision is leading humanity to explore more of space. In contrast, power systems designers are primarily concerned with saving space on their physical layouts of power systems designs. Not to be
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
PCIM Goes Virtual for a Second Year
Usually at this time of year, I’d be preparing to head off to Nuremberg for the biggest power event of the year. PCIM is always the showcase for the power industry in Europe and the exhibition that almost every company involved in the industry uses as a launchpad for their newest products and technologies. Un
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
As Fundamental as they Come
We’re closer than ever to eradicating COVID-19 – vaccines are disseminating, restrictions are lifting, and even if the coronavirus lingers for months (or years), we’re beginning to return to “normal.” But not soon enough. Next month’s Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), the Super Bowl of t
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021
Server / Telecom - Si and WBG solutions: Part 1 of 4 Editorial Series Sponsored by Infineon; Innovative Silicon Solution for Highest PFC Efficiency

Click image to enlarge

Figure 1: Circuit diagram of the proposed solution using CoolMOS™ in a half-bridge configuration

Introduction As a result of the pandemic that lately has had a significant impact on our lives, communication networks became a crucial part of critical social infrastructure. To achieve the required server capacities and fast connectivity and address the challenges of this unprecedented situation and, highly
. . . Learn More
Date:
05/03/2021