19 May 2011

Cree adds lower-amperage 1200V Z-FET for 3–10kW solar, power supply and motor drive applications

Providing power electronics design engineers with a way to increase the efficiency of high-volume power inverters for alternative energy and other power electronic applications, Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has extended the product range of its Z-FET family with a lower-amperage 1200V SiC MOSFET. The new MOSFET device complements the firm's existing 1200V SiC MOSFET and features a smaller current rating that enables it to be included in a wider range of applications at a lower price point or used in parallel to optimize system cost and performance.

The new device is designed to replace the silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) that are currently used in power inverter designs between 3 and 10kW. Applications include high-voltage power supplies and auxiliary power electronics circuits, especially those designed for conversion of three-phase input power, solar power inverters, industrial motor drives, high-power DC data-center power architectures, and PFC (power factor correction) circuits.

“The addition of this new switching device to our Z-FET SiC power MOSFET family gives our customers a greater range of flexibility in matching the price/performance requirements to their applications,” says Dr John Palmour, Cree co-founder & chief technology officer, Cree Power & RF. “The smaller die size provides a lower price point, yet still delivers all the benefits of silicon carbide switching performance at 1200V. It’s further evidence that we’re committed to establishing a comprehensive range of SiC MOSFET products that we believe will eventually replace silicon devices in many high-volume power electronics applications, especially those with 1200V and higher breakdown voltage requirements,” he adds.

“By using the new Z-FET SiC MOSFETs in conjunction with Cree’s silicon carbide Schottky diodes to implement ‘all-SiC’ versions of critical high-power switching circuits and power systems, power electronics design engineers can achieve levels of energy efficiency, size and weight reduction that are not possible with any commercially available silicon power devices of comparable ratings,” Palmour continues.

Cree’s new SiC MOSFET is rated for 12A at its operating temperature of 100°C and delivers blocking voltages up to 1200V with a typical on-state resistance (RDS(ON)) of just 160mΩ at 25°C. Unlike comparably rated silicon switching devices, Cree’s new SiC MOSFET exhibits an RDS(ON) value that remains below 200mΩ across its entire operating temperature range. This reduces switching losses in many applications by up to 50%, increasing overall system efficiencies up to 2% while operating at 2–3 times the switching frequencies when compared to the best silicon IGBTs. As a result of this improved efficiency, SiC devices have lower operating temperatures and fewer thermal management requirements, which combine with their ultra-low leakage current (<1µA) to reduce system size and weight and increase reliability, says Cree.

“The new 1200V Z-FET is the latest in what we anticipate to be a comprehensive range of SiC MOSFETs with both higher and lower amperage/voltage ratings,” explains Dr Cengiz Balkas, Cree VP & general manager, Power & RF. “By providing our customers a wider selection of devices and ratings, we are expanding the range of power electronics applications that can benefit from the unique efficiencies of SiC technology," he adds. "Compared with commercially available silicon devices, SiC power devices enable higher energy efficiency, faster switching speeds and improved device reliability that simplify system design while enabling unprecedented performance and, ultimately, at a cost advantage," Balkas continues. "In addition to the discrete packaged devices, we anticipate increased customer demand for MOSFET die for use in the development of power modules and microcircuit assemblies.”

Designated the CMF10120D, the new SiC MOSFET is housed in an industry-standard TO-247 package. CMF10120D power devices are fully qualified and released for production.

Tags: Cree SiC SIC MOSFET

Visit: www.cree.com/power