Rugged 1200V SiC diode for high-speed solar inverters and industrial needs

Fairchild has released its first 1200V silicon carbide (SiC) diode, the FFSH40120ADN, as part of its series of upcoming SiC solutions. The 1200V diode’s combination of superior switching performance, higher reliability and low electromagnetic interference (EMI) make it ideal for next-generation solar inverters, industrial motor controls and welders which are all increasingly required to be more energy efficient at higher power densities. “The combination of market trends and tightening industry standards is driving the need for more energy efficient products and our new 1200V SiC diode is designed specifically to help manufacturers achieve these ever-greater efficiency requirements and with better reliability, ruggedness and cost efficiency,” said Jin Zhao, vice president and general manager, High Power Industrial Division, Fairchild. “We based this diode on silicon carbide due to the material’s considerable advantages over silicon, and we will add additional SiC-based semiconductors as we build a comprehensive family of SiC solutions.” The FFSH40120ADN diode has the best leakage current performance in its class, leaking far less current than its competitors at temperatures up to 175C. The key benefits of this 1200V SiC diode include its extremely fast switching and no reverse recovery current, which dramatically reduces switching losses compared to silicon and results in superior energy efficiency. Faster switching also allows manufacturers to reduce the size of their products’ magnetic coils and associated passive components, which improves packaging efficiency, reduces system weight and can reduce bill-of-materials (BOM) costs. The diode’s ability to switch stably over a wide temperature range is another factor contributing to its exceptional performance, as is its zero recovery voltage which eliminates voltage overshoots. The FFSH40120ADN diode also offers considerably greater ruggedness and reliability compared to equivalent silicon-based diodes due to SiC having superior thermal performance to silicon. The breakdown field of SiC is 10x higher than that of silicon and SiC also has 3x greater thermal conductivity, says the company. APEC conference, March 20-24, Long Beach, Calif.