News: Microelectronics
12 September 2024
JEDEC publishes test method for addressing switching energy loss associated with output capacitance hysteresis
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (which develops standards for the microelectronics industry) has published ‘JEP200: Test Methods for Switching Energy Loss Associated with Output Capacitance Hysteresis in Semiconductor Power Devices’. Developed jointly by the JC-70.1 Gallium Nitride and JC-70.2 Silicon Carbide Subcommittees of JEDEC’s JC-70 Wide Bandgap Power Conversion Semiconductor Committee (which was formed in October 2017 with 23 member companies, rising to over 80 now), JEP200 is available for free download from the JEDEC website.
The proliferation of soft-switching power conversion topologies brought about the need to accurately quantify the energy stored in a power device’s output capacitance because the energy impacts the efficiency of power converters. Developed in collaboration with academia, JEP200 addresses the critical power supply industry need to properly test and measure the switching energy loss due to the output capacitance hysteresis in semiconductor power devices and details test circuits, measurement methods and data extraction algorithms. The document applies not only to wide-bandgap power semiconductors such as GaN and SiC but also silicon power transistors and diodes.
“Professionals in high-frequency power conversion systems have long sought a standardized approach to testing new switching energy losses,” says the JC-70 Committee’s vice chair Dr Jaume Roig, a member of onsemi’s technical staff. “This document now provides helpful guidance on testing energy losses related to output capacitance hysteresis caused by displacement currents. With this clarity, system optimization can proceed more accurately,” he adds.
“JEDEC’s JC-70 committee has the expertise necessary to meet the demands of the entire power semiconductor industry, and the development of JEP200 demonstrates how the JEDEC process enabled the committee to swiftly respond to an industry need,” says JEDEC president John Kelly. “JEP200 encompasses GaN, SiC and Si power devices, helping the industry navigate design challenges caused by the growing number of new power conversion topologies.”
Interested companies worldwide are invited to join JEDEC to participate in the work of the JC-70 Committee. The next committee meeting is being held on 6 November, in conjunction with the 11th IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA 2024) in Dayton, Ohio, USA (4–6 November).
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