DC-DC converters designed to power IGBT, Si, SiC and GaN gate drivers

RECOM has added the RA3 series of 3W SMD parts to its low-cost range. They are designed to offer the optimum voltages for semiconductor switch gate drivers. Variants are provided with outputs of single 8V, 9V, or dual +7/-1V, +15/-3V, and +20/-5V. These values cover the necessities of IGBTs, silicon MOSFETs and the latest silicon carbide MOSFETs and GaN HEMT cells. The parts have 5.2kV/1-minute functional isolation and hold UL/IEC/EN 62368-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No 62368-1 certification, together with EN 61204-3 compliance. EMI EN 55032 class ‘A’ level is met with no extra filtering, and class ‘B’ need only a simple LC filter. The 3W available suits large IGBTs and other Si, SiC, and GaNdevices when switched at high frequency.

Input voltages are +5V, +12V, and +24V with +/-10% tolerance, and efficiency is typically higher than 80%. Isolation capacitance is lower than 10pF for high immunity to the fast, high voltage switching edges witnessed in high-side drivers, mainly with the wide band-gap technologies of SiC and GaN. The operating temperature range is -40C to +85C with no derating (80C for 1V, 8V, and 9V output parts).

The series is surface-mount with ‘land grid’ style terminations and offers dimensions of just 23.4mm x 15mm x 8.5mm, giving a 35% reduction in footprint and 60% reduction in volume when compared to competitor parts. The surface mount format with wide spacings allows the required high isolation on a customer’s PCB between the DC-DC output pins and other circuitry, connecting to only the top layer.

The enclosed format and wide temperature range of the RA3 series is ideal for harsh environments such as those seen in induction heating, telecom, renewable energy, solar inverters, EV battery chargers, and motor drives.

Matthew Dauterive, RECOM product manager, commented: “We have worked closely with leading manufacturers of wide band-gap devices to ensure that these DC-DCs provide the optimum performance for the latest generations of their products. They are also significantly smaller and require fewer external components than other solutions on the market, making them easier to design in.”