Global semiconductor company STMicroElectronics and Japan’s Sanken Electric, a company focusing on innovative technologies for semiconductor devices, power modules and sensors, announced the establishment of a strategic partnership to jointly develop the next generation of intelligent power modules (IPM). Used in the design of high-voltage and high-power equipment.
In this cooperation, they are developing and jointly selling 650V/50A and 1200V/10A industrial modules, which are said to simplify design challenges and reduce materials for HVAC systems, industrial servo drives, industrial washing machines and general-purpose inverters above 3 kW List. ST/Sanken IPM product roadmap will continue to provide 650V/50A automotive-grade modules for high-pressure compressors, pumps and cooling fans.
Masao Hoshino, head of the headquarters of Sanken Equipment Business Company, said: "With the advantages of both parties, we will promote the new high-voltage and high-power IPM to the industrial and automotive markets, and provide excellent performance, efficiency and reliability."
Marco Monti, president of STMicroelectronics Automotive and Discrete Devices Group, said: "This will help to further expand our existing STpower Sllimm product portfolio, through the high-power product line, to meet the application of more than 3 kW."
On the basis of this IPM, designers can use compact integrated devices to replace the traditional power circuit constructed by discrete components, thereby simplifying circuit layout and PCB design. This will help accelerate time to market and increase cost-effectiveness and reliability. Because the manufacturing process is simpler, assembly is faster, and material costs are lower, high-voltage equipment designers can create a new generation of power products that not only save space, but are also economical, energy-saving, and durable.
The new IPM integrates a complete inverter stage in a single package, including 6 short-circuit rugged IGBTs with freewheeling diodes, and related high-end and low-end gate drivers, and uses an optimized thermal efficiency design. IPM can operate in hard switching up to 20 kHz, and protection and control functions are also built into the module. These include self-cathode load diodes, short circuit protection, gate driver undervoltage lockout protection, 100kΩ thermistor for temperature monitoring, and a fault protection comparator.
In addition to simplifying the design for users and improving safety and reliability, the module also has the following advantages: 3.3V/5V TTL/CMOS compatible hysteresis input; shutdown input and fault output; independent open-circuit emitter output; ultra-fast soft recovery diode ; Completely isolated package, isolation rating is 2500Vrms/min
According to reports, engineering samples of industrial IPM will be listed in March 2021, and production will soon begin, while automotive-grade equipment samples will be provided in the second half of 2021.