TechBites Says

Sometimes un-sexy is a very good thing. Take for example Infineon’s improved packaging system that they just introduced for their IGBTs, IGBT modules and SiC diodes. These new packaging and die-attach techniques all address a power device’s biggest lifetime limiters – the mechanical degradation that occurs during repeated thermal cycling and extended operation at high temperatures. While not a glamorous or exotic technology breakthrough, it still offers important improvements in reliability, simplified designs and cost savings in electric vehicles, power converters for wind and solar applications, as well as energy efficient designs in many more conventional applications.

The advantages of the new packaging are most evident in Infineon’s  Tri Pack IGBT modules which uses their dotXT interconnect technology which uses a copper-faced bond pad on chip and a copper bond wire (instead of the usual aluminum) to improve both thermal and electrical conductivity. Besides enjoying slightly lower electrical losses the copper-based bonding technology is much less prone to thermal-induced stress cracks at the chip/wire interface.

Infineon has also switched to an improved high-temperature diffusion soldering process to attach the IGBTs to their aluminum oxide-based ceramic substrate. The new process reduces the bonds’ tendency to de-laminate under high temperatures and frequently-repeated thermal cycles. The soldering process used to connect the substrate to its base plate has also improved to produce a more reliable bond. Infineon says that careful tuning of the soldering process’s temperature profile produced improvements in the substrate attachment reliability compare favorably with more expensive sintering techniques.

All these small, unglamorous tweaks add up to substantial improvements, including allowing the same package to handle up to 25% more current. One of the benefits of squeezing more power into the same form factor is that it allows designers to upgrade existing products power rating by simply changing devices One customer was using an earlier generation of IGBTs in their motor inverter drive co control motors up to a 60kW. The lower losses and improved thermal characteristics of this new generation of devices now allows the same design to drive 100kW motors with the same level of reliability.

Infineon’s modules are also designed to be easy to use – they use a press fit connection that can eliminate the need for soldering in low-power (10-200A) applications. In addition to improving reliability, eliminating the solder process also makes the assembly sequence more flexible. The modules come with pre-pasted thermal connection that allows them to be placed directly on a heatsink without the need for traditional in-situ application of a thermal “goop”.

Given their lower assembly costs and improved thermal characteristics, it’s no wonder that these rugged high-power modules are finding lots of use in windmills and other green power applications.

For more information, see the links to individual product announcements below or click here for an overview of Infineon’s IGBT and silicon carbide diode offerings.  

 Infineon Technologies Says:

Infineon Presents new Compact IGBT Modules PrimePACK 3 and EconoDUAL 3 with Highest Power Density and Reliability
Infineon Technologies presents new IGBT modules designed for highest power density and reliability: a PrimePACK module with 1400A in 1700V in a PrimePACK 3 packaging, and the new flagship of the EconoDUAL family, the EconoDUAL 3 with 600A in 1200V. Target applications are, for instance, renewable energies, traction applications, CAV (Construction, Commercial and Agriculture Vehicles) and powerful industrial drives. The new IGBT module addresses the rapidly growing requirements in the market for higher power within the same compact dimensions, paired with highest reliability. Click here to read more.

Click here to view the PrimePACK Product Family Brief.

Infineon Breaks Switching and Efficiency Limits with 3^rd Generation High Speed 600 V and 1200 V IGBTs
Infineon Technologies today introduced its 600V and 1200V High Speed 3 (3rd generation) IGBT product family optimized for high frequency and hard switching applications. The device family sets a new benchmark in reduced switching losses and best-in-class efficiency and is designed to address topologies switching at up to 100kHz. The new 600V and 1200V High Speed 3 family from Infineon enables designers of high-frequency applications such as electrical welders, solar inverters, switched mode and uninterruptable power supplies (SMPS and UPS), to get the best performance out of their system. Click here to read more.

Click here to view the  Product Brief.

Infineon Makes 2^nd Generation of its ThinQ! Silicon Carbide Schottky Diodes Available in Fully Isolated TO-220 FullPAK Package
Ifineon Technologies today announced the availability of its 2nd generation SiC (Silicon Carbide) Schottky diodes in the TO-220 FullPAK package. The new TO220 FullPak portfolio combines the high electrical performance standards of the 2nd generation ThinQ SiC Schottky diodes with the advantages of a fully isolated package, including easier and more reliable mounting without having to use isolating bushing and foil. Key features are a benchmark switching behavior, no reverse recovery, virtually no temperature influence on the switching behavior and a standard operating temperature of -55°C to 175°C. Main application areas for SiC Schottky diodes are active Power Factor Correction (PFC) in Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) and other AC/DC and DC/DC power conversion applications such as solar inverters and motor drives. Click here to read more.

Click here to view the Product Brief