The automotive industry’s transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating, with a significant shift occurring in power electronics. As manufacturers increasingly adopt Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs over traditional silicon IGBTs for critical components like inverters, onboard chargers, and DC fast charging systems, a key challenge has emerged in adapting existing gate driver designs. These legacy systems, often built around optocouplers, struggle to meet the demanding requirements of SiC technology, including faster switching speeds and enhanced noise immunity.
Addressing the SiC Migration Challenge
Infineon Technologies has launched its new EiceDRIVER 1ED301xMC12I family of isolated gate driver ICs, specifically engineered to overcome these hurdles. These new devices are designed to be pin-compatible with existing opto-emulator and optocoupler solutions, offering a seamless upgrade path for legacy designs. This allows manufacturers to leverage the performance benefits of SiC without necessitating a complete overhaul of their power electronic architectures.
Performance and Versatility
The EiceDRIVER 1ED301xMC12I family comprises three distinct variants: the 1ED3010, 1ED3011, and 1ED3012. These are tailored for Si MOSFETs, IGBTs, and SiC MOSFETs, respectively. Key specifications include an impressive output current of up to 6.5 A, common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) exceeding 300 kV/µs, and a propagation delay of just 40 ns, with timing matching below 10 ns. The ICs are housed in a CTI 600 6-pin DSO package, providing over 8 mm of creepage and clearance for robust isolation. A pure PMOS sourcing stage is incorporated to enhance turn-on performance.
Target Applications and Availability
These new gate driver ICs are targeted at a range of high-power applications, including motor drives, solar inverters, EV chargers, and energy storage systems. All three variants, along with a corresponding evaluation board (EVAL-1ED3012MC12I-SIC), are available immediately, facilitating rapid prototyping and integration for manufacturers embracing SiC technology.
Infineon will be hosting several webinars on advanced EV power conversion technologies as part of an upcoming virtual conference. Sessions include ‘Unlocking Next-Gen xEV Power Conversion: New CoolSiC™ Devices’ and ‘Automotive CoolGaN™ Enabling Highly-Efficient & Affordable E-Mobility’.
