Abstract :
Power switch technology has been advancing dramatically in recent years. Breakthroughs occur regularly in current density, switching performance, thermal design, ruggedness, and cost. All of these factors contribute to improvements in efficiency, power density, and system cost of today´s power electronic systems. This paper discusses some of these developments in the 40 V-300 V class, especially as they could apply to selected applications such as isolated DC/DC converters, switching audio amplifiers, automotive motion control, and plasma displays. Careful design and characterization techniques are essential to assure avalanche current capability and forward bias safe operating area, and various technologies are compared. Trench and planar design and performance differences are highlighted. Packaging improvements such as the DirectFET are essential for improving thermal design and reducing package electrical parasitics
Keywords :
DC-DC power convertors; audio-frequency amplifiers; current density; power semiconductor switches; 40 to 300 V; DirectFET; automotive motion control; avalanche current capability; current density; forward bias safe operating area; isolated DC/DC converters; package electrical parasitics reduction; plasma displays; power density; power electronic systems; power switch technology; switching audio amplifiers; switching performance; thermal design; Costs; DC-DC power converters; Electronic packaging thermal management; Immune system; Implants; Insulated gate bipolar transistors; MOSFET circuits; Power MOSFET; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Switches; DC/DC converter; IGBT; Power semiconductor device; automotive electronics; avalanche capability; class D audio amplifier; efficiency; forward SOA; high power discrete device; packaging; power MOSFET; power density; power supply; thermal design;
