News: Microelectronics
5 June 2024
Infineon adds bidirectional switch and Smart Sense products to CoolGaN family
Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has announced two new CoolGaN product technologies: CoolGaN bidirectional switch (BDS) and CoolGaN Smart Sense.
CoolGaN BDS provides soft- and hard-switching behavior, with bidirectional switches available at 40V, 650V and 850V. Target applications include mobile device USB ports, battery management systems, inverters, and rectifiers. The CoolGaN Smart Sense products feature lossless current sensing, simplifying design and further reducing power losses, as well as transistor switch functions integrated into one package. They are suitable for usage in consumer USB-C chargers and adapters.
Picture: Infineon’s CoolGaN bidirectional switch and CoolGaN Smart Sense products.
The CoolGaN BDS high voltage will be available at 650V and 850V and feature a true normally-off monolithic bi-directional switch with four modes of operation. Based on the gate injection transistor (GIT) technology, the devices have two separate gates with substrate terminal and independent isolated control. They utilize the same drift region to block voltages in both directions with what is claimed to be outstanding performance under repetitive short-circuit conditions. Applications can benefit by using one BDS instead of four conventional transistors, resulting in higher efficiency, density and reliability. Furthermore, significant cost savings are achieved. The devices optimize performance in the replacement of back-to-back switches in single-phase H4 PFC and HERIC inverters and three-phase Vienna rectifiers. Additional implementations include single-stage AC power conversion in AC/DC or DC/AC topologies.
The CoolGaN BDS 40V is a normally-off, monolithic bi-directional switch based on Infineon’s in-house Schottky gate GaN technology. It can block voltages in both directions and, through a single-gate and common-source design, it is optimized to replace back-to-back MOSFETs used as disconnect switches in battery-powered consumer products. The first 40V CoolGaN BDS product has a 6mΩ RDS(on), with a range of products to follow. Benefits of using 40V GaN BDS versus back-to-back silicon FETs include 50–75% PCB area savings and a reduction in power losses by more than 50%, all at a lower cost.
The CoolGaN Smart Sense products feature 2kV electrostatic discharge withstand and can connect to controller current sense for peak current control and overcurrent protection. The current sense response time is ~200ns, which is equal or less than common controller blanking time for ultimate compatibility.
Implementing the devices results in increased efficiency and cost savings. At a higher RDS(on) of for example 350mΩ, the CoolGaN Smart Sense products offer similar efficiency and thermal performance at lower cost compared with traditional 150mΩ GaN transistors. Moreover, the devices are footprint compatible to Infineon’s transistor-only CoolGaN package, eliminating the need for layout rework and PCB re-spin, and further facilitating design with Infineon’s GaN devices.
Engineering samples of the CoolGaN BDS 40V are available now for 6mΩ, and will follow in third-quarter 2024 for 4mΩ and 9mΩ. Samples of the CoolGaN BDS 650V will be available in fourth-quarter 2024, and 850V will follow in early 2025. CoolGaN Smart Sense samples will be available in August 2024.
Infineon is presenting its products and solutions for decarbonization and digitalization in booths #470 and #169 (Hall 7) at Power, Control and Intelligent Motion (PCIM) Europe 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany (11–13 June). Company representatives are also giving several presentations at the accompanying PCIM Conference and Forums, followed by discussions with the speakers.
Infineon launches CoolGaN transistor families built on 8-inch foundry processes
