New SCALE-iDriver SiC-MOSFET Gate Driver from Power Integrations Maximizes Efficiency, Improves Safety

Power Integrations (Nasdaq: POWI), the leader in gate-driver technology for medium- and high-voltage inverter applications, today announced the SIC1182K SCALE-iDriver™, a high-efficiency, single-channel silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET gate driver that delivers the highest peak-output gate current available without an external boost stage. Devices can be configured to support different gate-drive voltage requirements matching the range of requirements seen in SiC-MOSFETs today; key applications include UPS, photo-voltaic systems, servo drives, welding inverters and power supplies.

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New SCALE-iDriver SiC-MOSFET Gate Driver from Power Integrations Maximizes Efficiency, Improves Safety (Photo: Business Wire)

The SIC1182K offers up to 8 A output at a junction temperature of 125°C allowing these devices to support SiC-MOSFET inverter designs up to several hundred kilowatts without a booster stage. This results in high system efficiency and enables customers to produce only one design to cover their entire portfolio of differently rated power inverters. A switching frequency of up to 150 kHz supports multiple applications.

SCALE-iDriver SIC1182K SiC gate drivers feature Power Integrations’ high-speed FluxLink™ communications technology, dramatically improving isolation capability. FluxLink is a revolution in signal transmission, replacing optocouplers and capacitive or silicon-based solutions, significantly improving reliability and delivering reinforced isolation up to 1200 V. SCALE-iDriver devices also include system-critical protection features such as desaturation monitoring and current SENSE read out, primary and secondary undervoltage lock-out (UVLO) and Advanced Active Clamping (AAC). More, the protection circuits provide safe shutdown within five microseconds, meeting the fast protection needs of SiC devices. SIC1182K SiC gate drivers exhibit high external magnetic field immunity, featuring a package that provides ≥9.5 mm of creepage and clearance, using material that has the highest CTI level, CTI600, to IEC60112.

Comments Michael Hornkamp, senior director of marketing for gate-driver products at Power Integrations: “Silicon carbide MOSFET technology opens the door for decreasing size and weight as well as reduced losses in power inverter systems. The SCALE-iDriver family with FluxLink™ technology enables safe, cost-effective designs for inverters with very few external components, ensuring functional safety as well as compact packaging and maximized efficiency.”

SCALE-iDriver technology minimizes the number of external components that are needed and reduces the BOM; tantalum or electrolytic capacitors are not required, and only one secondary winding is needed. A two-layer PCB can be used which increases design simplicity, cuts component count and eases supply-chain management.

Power Integrations’ SCALE-iDriver SIC1182K SiC gate drivers meet IEC60664-1 isolation coordination for low-voltage equipment below 1000 V and IEC61800-5-1 electric motor drive inverter regulations. UL 1577, 5 kVAC for 1 min, is pending and VDE0884-10 is in process.

Devices are available now, priced at $4.65 in 10,000 piece quantities. Technical information is available from the Power Integrations website at http://www.power.com/products/scale-idriver-ic-family/sic1182k/.

About Power Integrations

Power Integrations, Inc. is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies for high-voltage power conversion. The company’s products are key building blocks in the clean-power ecosystem, enabling the generation of renewable energy as well as the efficient transmission and consumption of power in applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts. For more information please visit www.power.com.Power Integrations, SCALE, SCALE-iDriver and the Power Integrations logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Power Integrations, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.

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