IGBT structure aids switching in industrial and home applicances

Expanding its portfolio of high current capability IGBTs and IGBTs featuring lower saturation voltage and faster switching, Rohm has introduced its third generation of IGBTs. The devices make use of a thinner wafer structure, as well as field stop and proprietary Trench Gate technologies, says the company, to meet the growing need for high frequency switching.

Based on an advanced field stop structure, the 650V IGBTs offers a smaller carrier concentration gradient in the drift region leading to a better carrier distribution. As a result, lower saturation voltage and faster switching becomes possible, overcoming the trade-off between saturation voltage and turn-off loss characteristics of conventional solutions.

A trench gate structure reduces gate charge and capacitance, while an optimised doping and cell structure, combined with a 15% thinner wafer compared to the 2nd generation, significantly decreases the total loss of the device, claims the company. During conductive phase, there is less carrier concentration resulting in lower switching losses during turn-off. The IGBTs keep a soft switching behaviour even at a low external gate resistance. Measurement results show low noise performance even when keeping higher switching speed. Miniaturisation and superior characteristics result in a reduction of the saturation voltage by 6% and of the turn-off switching loss by 20% compared with the 2nd generation, reports the company.

Available 650V IGBTs consists of 30/50/80A types in the RGTV series and 30/40/50A in the RGW series. They are offered in two packages - TO-247N and TO-3PFM. The RGTV series is designed for applications demanding advanced short circuit safety, and the RGW series is specially adapted for converters, offering low gate charge, capacitance and extremely low switching loss. Both are integrated with a very fast and soft recovery FRD for optimum efficiency.

Samples are available, and OEM quantities will start this summer.