Low-Loss Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Devices

Renesas Electronics Corporation announced the availability of three silicon carbide (SiC) compound power devices, the RJQ6020DPM, the RJQ6021DPM and the RJQ6022DPM, that incorporate multiple SiC diodes and multiple power transistors in a single package to compose a power converter circuit or switching circuit. These are the second series of power semiconductor products from Renesas to employ SiC, a new material effective in reducing loss, and they are intended for use in home appliances such as air conditioners, PC servers, and power electronics products such as solar power generation systems.

The new products have a voltage tolerance of 600 V and use an SiC diode based on low-leakage SiC-SBD technology developed jointly by Hitachi, Ltd., and Renesas. They combine low loss and compactness and are available in a fully molded TO-3P package with a 5-pin configuration and pin assignments optimized for specific applications, making it easy to configure a circuit unit incorporating them.

(1) The RJQ6020DPM combines in a single package an SiC-SBD and two high-voltage power MOSFETs required in switching circuits for critical-conduction mode PFC in the power supplies of products such as air conditioners or flat-panel TVs. Reverse recovery time (trr) of the SiC-SBD is only 15 ns, and the high-voltage power MOSFETs are highly efficient super-junction (SJ-MOS) transistors employing a deep-trench configuration to achieve a low on-resistance of 100 mohm.

(2) The RJQ6021DPM combines in a single package an SiC-SBD and two IGBTs required for PFC in applications such as AC/DC rectifiers for communication equipment and PC servers. Reverse recovery time (trr) of the SiC-SBD is only 15 ns, and the ultra-thin-wafer IGBTs deliver a low on-voltage of 1.5 V that is ideal for continuous-conduction mode PFC applications. The RJQ6021DPM device can also be combined with the R2A20114A continuous-conduction mode PFC-IC from Renesas Electronics, making it easy to implement interleaved control.

(3) The RJQ6022DPM device combines in a single package two SiC-SBDs and two IGBTs required for half-bridge circuits in inverters for applications such as motor drive in air conditioners and industrial machinery. Reverse recovery time (trr) of the SiC-SBD is only 15 ns, and the ultra-thin-wafer IGBTs deliver a low on-voltage of 1.5 V and short circuit time (tsc) of 6 µsec, which is suitable for motor drive applications.

A single RJQ6022DPM device is sufficient to implement a half-bridge circuit, while two can be used for a full-bridge configuration and three for a three-phase bridge configuration. In addition to simplifying the design of motor drive circuits, the RJQ6022DPM device will be available as part of kit solutions with Renesas MCUs such as the RX600 Series.

Samples of Renesas' new SiC compound power devices are scheduled to begin in February 2012, priced at US$10 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to start in May 2012 and is expected to reach a combined volume of 300,000 units per month in April 2013. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

Renesas Electronics America Inc.
Part Number: RJQ6020DPM