News: Microelectronics
25 May 2023
Navitas’ GeneSiC MOSFETs adopted for Exide’s industrial high-frequency chargers
Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor of Torrance, CA, USA says that its GeneSiC power semiconductors have been adopted by France-based Exide Technologies in order to ensure reliability, safety, ease-of-use and optimal charging in its high-frequency fast chargers for industrial material handling equipment.
As a provider of sustainable battery storage solutions for the industrial and automotive markets, Exide’s range of lead-acid and lithium-ion solutions serve applications including traction batteries and charging solutions for material handling equipment and robotics, maximizing fleet uptime with minimized total cost of ownership.
As a wide-bandgap power semiconductor material, silicon carbide is rapidly replacing silicon chips in high-power, high-voltage applications such as renewable energy, energy storage and micro-grids, electric vehicles (EVs) and industrial applications. GeneSiC ‘trench-assisted planar-gate’ SiC MOSFET technology delivers high-efficiency, high-speed performance, resulting in up to 25°C lower case temperature, and up to three times longer life than alternative SiC products, Navitas claims. With the highest-published 100%-tested avalanche capability, 30% longer short-circuit withstand time, and stable threshold voltage for easy paralleling, GeneSiC MOSFETs are suitable for high-power, fast-time-to-market applications, the firm adds.
Exide’s high-frequency chargers convert 220V AC power to a battery-level voltage between 24V and 80V for lead-acid- and lithium-ion-powered industrial vehicles. The 7kW module uses GeneSiC G3R60MT07D (750V) MOSFETs and GD10MPS12A (1200V) MPS Schottky diodes, with a frequency-optimized architecture. The same platform can be upgraded to 10kW, with four modules in parallel to provide 40kW of reliable fast-charging power.
“Exide Technologies delivers complete, carefully controlled fast charging with close system monitoring for critical material handling equipment, running 24/7,” says Dr Dominik Margraf, director product management Motion at Exide Technologies. “Navitas’ GeneSiC technology is easy-to-use, with excellent support, increased system efficiency, and cooler operation,” he comments.
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