New High-Power IGBT Technology Reduces Design Complexity

A few weeks ago, I had a chat with Kevin Speer from Microchip, who told us about how the company’s SP6LI packaging could reduce parasitics in SiC modules. Today, the company's Serge Bontemps and Philippe Blanchard took time out to discuss Microchip’s IGBT Trench7 (IGBT7) range and also how the SP6LI packaging can also benefit high power silicon designs.

Until the launch of the IGBT7 family, Microchip had mainly focussed on the aviation and defence sectors for its IGBT ranges. Now, having refined and improved the technology, the company is expanding its focus onto the wider market.

Commenting on the thinking behind the expanded market focus, Serge Bontemps, Senior Manager - Design Engineering at Microchip said, “the IGBT7 family features the highest power density available in this technology. For the same current rating, the die has significantly shrunk over the previous generation. At the same time, the current capability has risen by almost 50%. So IGBT7 technology allows products that were limited to 400A in the previous generation to reach 600A. This lets us address markets where power density is a concern while keeping same switching performance. Additionally, IGBT7 dies have also been significantly improved over the previous generation, reducing recovery losses considerably and lowering switching losses when the IGBTs are switching current at higher frequencies”.

A low V_CE(sat) figure and low leakage currents enable the creation of 1200V and 1700V variants with current handling capabilities of up to 900A. The packaging will also have an effect on performance, including a 15% lower conduction losses, and a corresponding reduction in total losses, when using the company’s SP6LI packaging. Microchip expects that these attributes, along with the cost benefits of using silicon technology, will allow the company to target more broad based applications, such as motor control, UPS, automotive and renewables.

Philippe Blanchard, Product Marketing Manager at Microchip explained the benefits to designers that the new range will bring, “The improvements in the performance of the IGBT7 range is combined with lower losses and fewer EMI issues. IGBT7 devices are also more robust, and can withstand a higher temperature of 175^oC for short periods of time, in comparison to their predecessor’s maximum 150^oC rating. This allows the devices to operate in overload conditions for a longer time period. Additionally, family members can use a gate resistor for enhanced dV/dt control. Together, the higher current handling capability, tighter control with less overshoot, and better temperature handling capability allows designers to get far closer to the actual design specifications without the additional complexity of using paralleled devices, or having to specify much higher, and more expensive, products”.

Microchip’s IGBT7 range will be available in a wide range of topologies; from single-switches to 3-phase bridges. There will also be a variety of packaging options. Samples are available now, with full scale production scheduled to start in q2 2025.

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/products/power-management/power-modules/igbt­