30 July 2011

SemiSouth launches high-linearity, low-distortion SiC JFETs for high-end audio

SemiSouth Laboratories Inc of Starkville, MS, USA, which designs and manufactures silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and electronics for high-power, high-efficiency, harsh-environment power management and conversion applications, has launched a new family of low-cost SiC junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) with what is claimed to be very good linearity targeted at high-end audio applications.

Compatible with standard gate driver ICs, the SJEP120R100A and SJEP120R063A feature a positive temperature coefficient for ease of paralleling; extremely fast switching with no ‘tail’ current at up to a maximum operating temperature of 150ºC, and a low RDS(on)max of 0.100Ω and 0.063Ω, respectively. Devices are available in TO-247 packages; the 100mΩ part is also available in die form for integration into modules.

“Over the last 40 years I have greatly appreciated the qualities of low-power JFETs in audio circuits, and experimenting with the few examples of ‘unobtainable’ power JFETs has convinced me of their great potential,” comments Nelson Pass, founder of audio amplifier manufacturer Nelson Pass Inc. “With the new SiC power JFETs from SemiSouth, this potential has been realized in reliable linear power amplifiers. In push–pull topologies, they exhibit a 50–70% improvement in distortion, and in single-ended circuits the improvement has been nearly ten-fold,” he adds. “Currently, we profitably produce a small high-end audio amplifier using the SJEP120R100A devices, and are engaged in developing other higher-power amplifiers using this and the SJDP120R085 depletion-mode devices.” 

“These parts are especially suitable for high-end audio amplifier designs which demand the best linearity performance and lowest distortion,” notes Dieter Liesabeths, SemiSouth’s director of sales. “Compared to conventional SiC JFET for power applications, the prices for these audio parts has been reduced by about 15% in order to meet the demand of customers,” he adds.

Tags: SemiSouth SiC SiC JFETs

Visit: www.semisouth.com