Renesas Electronics Corporation, a provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced a new gate driver IC designed to drive high-voltage power devices such as insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs for inverters of electric vehicles (EV).
Gate driver ICs are essential components for EV inverters, providing an interface between the inverter control MCU and the IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs that supply power to the inverter. They receive control signals from the MCU in the low voltage domain and transfer these signals to quickly turn on and off power devices in the high voltage domain.
To accommodate the higher voltages of EV batteries, the RAJ2930004AGM has an integrated 3.75 kVrms (kV root mean square) isolator, which is superior to the 2.5 kVrms isolator of the previous generation product and can support power devices with a withstand voltage of up to 1200V.
Additionally, the new driver IC features CMTI (Common Mode Transient Immunity) performance in excess of 150 V/ns (nanoseconds) or better, providing reliable communication and greater noise immunity while meeting high voltages and speeds. fast switching required in inverter systems. The new product offers the basic functions of a gate driver in a small SOIC16 package, making it ideal for cost-effective inverter systems.
The RAJ2930004AGM can be used in conjunction with Renesas IGBTs as well as IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs from other manufacturers. In addition to traction inverters, the gate driver IC is ideal for a variety of applications that utilize power semiconductors, such as integrated chargers and DC/DC converters.
To help developers bring their products to market quickly, Renesas offers the xEV Inverter Kit solution that combines gate driver ICs with MCUs, IGBTs and power management ICs, and plans to release a version incorporating the new gate driver IC into the first half of 2023. .
“Renesas is pleased to offer the second-generation gate driver IC for automotive applications with high isolation voltage and superior CMTI performance,” said Akira Omichi, vice president of Renesas' automotive analog application-specific business division. “We will continue to drive the development of EV applications, offering solutions that minimize energy loss and meet high levels of functional safety in our customers’ systems.
RAJ2930004AGM Gate Driver IC Isolation Capabilities:
- Withstand isolation voltage: 3.75kVrms
- CMTI (common mode transient immunity): 150V/ns
Gate drive capabilities:
- Output peak current: 10A
Fault detection/protection functions:
- On-chip active Miller clamp
- Soft shutdown
- Overcurrent protection (DESAT protection)
- Undervoltage lockout (UVLO)
- Failure feedback
Operating temperature range: -40 to 125°C (Tj:150°C max.)
This product will help increase the adoption of EVs by realizing cost-effective inverters, thus minimizing environmental impacts.
