Infineon Technologies Launches New Generation of Dual-Channel Isolated Gate Driver ICs to Boost System Performance in SMPS Designs

[Munich, Germany, May 15, 2023] Today, 3.3 kW switch mode power supplies (SMPS) can achieve a power density of 100 W/inch3 by using the latest technologies such as super junction (SJ silicon) power MOSFETs and silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs in the totem pole PFC stage, as well as gallium nitride (GaN) power switches that meet the requirements of high-voltage DC-DC power conversion. Digital control of PFC and DC-DC is as important as excellent gate drive solutions for improving energy efficiency and enhancing robustness . To meet the latest design and application requirements, Infineon Technologies AG has launched a new generation of dual-channel electrically isolated EiceDRIVER™ gate driver IC product family.

The product series has multiple undervoltage lockout (UVLO) threshold options and isolation levels, and uses different packaging technologies to provide complete solutions for various applications. The new product portfolio combines powerful isolation technology that meets the latest industry standards with excellent electrical parameters, which can operate efficiently and reliably over a wide operating temperature range and extend the service life of the device. This series of drivers has a wide range of uses and is suitable for various applications such as server and telecom SMPS, solar inverters and energy storage systems, motor drives and battery-powered applications, electric vehicle charging, and high-performance computing.

Compared with the previous generation, the new generation of EiceDRIVER introduces a DSO 14-pin package, which increases the creepage distance between channels; at the same time, built-in dead time control and breakdown protection functions can also shorten the UVLO startup time. The new generation of EiceDRIVER uses powerful isolation technology that complies with the industry's latest device-level isolation standards (VDE 0884-11, IEC 60747-17). In addition, this series of drivers also uses a highly compact LGA 4x4 mm2 package, which can save up to 36% of space in low-voltage applications. One of the important improvements and upgrades made by the developers to the new generation of EiceDRIVER is the integration of electrical isolation technology in the gate driver IC, which has now passed IEC 60747-17 certification. Obtaining IEC 60747-17 certification means that these products can have a service life of up to 20 years and meet the requirements of the highest safety standards.

The shorter UVLO start-up time (from 5μs to 2μs) speeds up the startup of the SMPS and avoids saturation of the main power transformer. In addition, the new generation of ICs has a special output clamp circuit that implements active output clamping to quickly suppress output noise even when the channel is "not working". This versatile approach prevents dangerous half-bridge shoot-through events during bootstrap startup when the gate driver supply is still below the UVLO turn-on threshold.

The new generation of gate driver ICs has built-in configurable breakdown protection (STP) and dead time control (DTC) in hardware. These two features can be used as a second-level safety mechanism to provide further protection to ensure that the gate driver IC can operate safely and reliably. In addition, the innovative package design removes unused or previously known as "no connection" pins, improves the isolation level between channels and the flexibility of PCB layout, thereby reducing the difficulty for designers to develop circuits.

Availability

The new generation of dual-channel electrically isolated gate driver ICs uses two packaging forms: a leaded DSO package and a leadless LGA package. Among them, the DSO package is divided into 14-pin and 16-pin configurations, both of which are available in 150mil ("narrow body") and 300mil ("wide body") specifications. The LGA package is divided into 5x5 mm2 and 4x4 mm2 sizes.

For more information on the products and evaluation boards, visit www.infineon.com/2edi. The new generation of the EiceDRIVER family will be on display at PCIM Europe 2023.