Industry’s first AC/DC converter control IC for SiC MOSFET drives

Rohm has announced the development of an AC/DC converter control IC designed specifically for SiC MOSFET drive in industrial equipment such as servers and other large power applications - the first of its kind in the industry, says the company. The BD7682FJ-LB allows the easy implementation of SiC-MOSFETs to an AC/DC converter AC/DC converter design has proved challenging when using discrete configurations due to the large number of components required. In contrast, Rohm’s latest product provide a high integrated solution and creates new standards for energy savings and miniaturization while supporting the adoption of SiC power semiconductors that provide breakthrough levels of efficiency and performance. Compared to silicon MOSFETs used in conventional AC/DC converters, SiC MOSFETs enable AC/DC converters with improved power efficiency by up to 6%. Furthermore, components used for heat dissipation are not required (50W Class power supplies), leading to greater compactness. The specification of BD7682FJ-LB also include multiple protection functions that enable support for high voltages up to 690VAC, making them ideal for general industrial equipment while improving reliability. In recent years there has been an increasing trend to conserve energy in all areas. This includes high voltage industrial equipment applications. To achieve this targets it’s necessary to adopt advanced power semiconductors and power supply ICs. Among these, SiC power semiconductors are expected to gain ground over silicon solutions due to their higher voltage capability, greater energy savings, and more compact form factor. However, until now there has not been a control IC that can sufficiently draw out the performance of SiC MOSFETs, particularly in AC/DC converter systems. As a result designers are faced with numerous problems related to power consumption and stability in a variety of high power applications. To meet these needs, Rohm utilizes market-proven analogy technology with SiC power semiconductor expertise to develop the industry’s first AC/DC converter controller specialized for driving SiC MOSFETs. Going forward Rohm will continue to pioneer industry-leading solutions, including the development of new AC/DC converter control ICs with integrated SiC MOSFETs, says the company.