News: Microelectronics
20 March 2023
ROHM’s silicon carbide devices chosen by Apex for new power module family
Japan’s ROHM says that its silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) are being adopted by precision power analog company Apex Microtechnology of Tucson, AZ, USA (a part of HEICO Corp’s Electronics Technologies Group) for a new line of power modules. The product family currently includes the three-phase SA310 module, suitable for driving high-voltage BLDC motors, as well as two half-bridge devices SA110 and SA111, suitable for a wide range of high-voltage applications.
ROHM’s 1200V S4101 SiC MOSFETs and 650V S6203 SiC SBD are supplied in bare die form, enabling Apex to save space and increase the performance and reliability of its modules. In addition to the SiC devices, Apex’s new line of power modules use ROHM’s tightly matched BM60212FV-C gate drivers in bare die format, contributing to high-efficiency operation of high-voltage motors and power supplies.
By using these parts in bare die form, Apex has been able to increase the levels of integration offered by these power modules. According to a study commissioned by the company, such modules are usually 67% smaller than discrete solutions developed by customers. Apex is often able to include not only MOSFETs, gate drivers and SBDs but also bootstrap supply and bypass capacitors with compact surface-mount form factors.
“Apex Microtechnology’s portfolio of high-power, high-precision analog and mixed-signal solutions are used in some of the world’s most demanding applications,” says the firm’s president Greg Brennan. “Our devices power systems ranging from medical equipment in a surgical suite, to flight instrumentation, to satellites in orbit. This in mind, Apex designs its products to meet or exceed the most stringent standards throughout the industry, and as such we seek to partner with suppliers sharing our high standards of quality and care,” he adds. “Not only has the service and support we have received from ROHM been excellent, but they have been able to stably supply us throughout the semiconductor shortages, allowing us to continue production and on-time deliveries to our customers. As Apex continues to develop innovative analog and mixed-signal solutions in order to solve the industry’s complex challenges, we look forward to additional collaboration with ROHM.”
Apex designs and manufactures precision power analog monolithic, hybrid and open frame components for a wide range of industrial, test & measurement, medical, aerospace and military applications. ROHM provides SiC power semiconductors along with power solutions combined with gate driver ICs. “Together with Apex Microtechnology, we want to further improve the efficiency of high-power applications by fully exploiting the potential of ROHM’s strengths in power and analog technologies,” says Jay Barrus, president of ROHM Semiconductor USA LLC.
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