- News
7 March 2018
Littelfuse launches 1200V SiC MOSFETs with 120mΩ and 160mΩ on-resistance at APEC
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Littelfuse Inc of Chicago, IL, USA, which provides circuit protection technologies (including fuses, semiconductors, polymers, ceramics, relays and sensors), and Monolith Semiconductor Inc of Round Rock, TX, USA, a developer of silicon carbide (SiC) technology in which Littelfuse holds a controlling interest, have added two 1200V SiC n‑channel, enhancement-mode MOSFETs to their expanding first-generation portfolio of power semiconductor devices. The new SiC MOSFETs are the latest products of a strategic partnership that Littelfuse formed with Monolith in 2015 to develop power semiconductors for industrial and automotive markets.
Announced in Littelfuse booth at the Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition (APEC 2018) in San Antonio, Texas (4–8 March), the LSIC1MO120E0120 and LSIC1MO120E0160 SiC MOSFETs offer ultra-low on-resistance (RDS(ON)) levels of just 120mΩ and 160mΩ, respectively. The SiC MOSFETs are designed for use as power semiconductor switches in a wide range of power conversion systems, outperforming their silicon MOSFET counterparts substantially in terms of blocking voltage, specific-on resistance, and junction capacitances. They also offer a combination of high operating voltages and ultra-fast switching that traditional power transistor solutions such as silicon IGBTs with similar current ratings and packages cannot match, says Littelfuse.
Typical applications include: electric vehicles, industrial machinery, renewable energy (e.g. solar inverters), medical equipment, switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), motor drives, high-voltage DC/DC converters, and induction heating.
“These new SiC MOSFETs provide power converter designers with a state-of-the-art alternative to traditional silicon-based transistors,” says Michael Ketterer, product marketing manager for Power Semiconductors at Littelfuse. “Their inherent material characteristics and ultra-fast switching capabilities offer a variety of design optimization opportunities including increased power density, higher efficiency, and the potential for lower bill-of-material costs,” he adds.
The new 1200V SiC MOSFETs are said to offer the following benefits:
- A reduction in passive filter components at the system level supports increased power density, for a design that’s optimized for use in high-frequency, high-efficiency applications.
- Extremely low gate charge and output capacitance, combined with ultra-low on-resistance, allows for minimal power dissipation, higher efficiency and a reduction in the size and sophistication of the cooling techniques required.
The LSIC1MO120E0120 and LSIC1MO120E0160 SiC MOSFETs are available in TO-247-3L packages in tubes in quantities of 450. Sample requests may be placed through authorized Littelfuse distributors worldwide.
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