STMicroelectronics has expanded its STGAP family of isolated gate drivers with the introduction of the STGAP2SiCS, designed to safely control silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. The gate driver operates from a high-voltage rail up to 1200 V.
The STGAP2SiCS, which is capable producing a gate-driving voltage up to 26 V, has a raised under-voltage lockout (UVLO) threshold of 15.5 V to meet the turn-on requirements of SiC MOSFETs. “If the driving voltage is too low, which can be caused by low supply voltage, the UVLO ensures the MOSFET is turned off to prevent excessive dissipation,” said ST. It also features dual input pins that let designers determine the gate-drive signal polarity.
Targeting consumer and industrial applications the isolated gate driver provides 6 kV of galvanic isolation between the input section and the gate-driving output. In addition, the device’s 4 A output-sink/source capability is suited to mid- and high-power converters, power supplies, and inverters in equipment such as high-end home appliances, industrial drives, fans, induction heaters, welders, and UPSes.
The gate driver also offers two different output configurations. One configuration has separate output pins that allow independent optimization of turn-on and turn-off times using a dedicated gate resistor, while the second configuration targets high-frequency hard switching.
The second configuration features a single output pin and active Miller clamp that limits oscillation of the SiC MOSFET gate-source voltage to prevent unwanted turn-on and enhance reliability, said ST. The input circuitry is compatible with CMOS/TTL logic down to 3.3 V.
Other features include a standby mode to help reduce system power consumption and built-in protection including hardware interlocks to prevent cross conduction and thermal shutdown of both the low-voltage section and the high-voltage driving channel. The gate driver also offers matched propagation delays between the low-voltage and high-voltage sections to prevent cycle distortion and minimize energy losses. The total delay is less than 75 ns, permitting accurate pulse-width modulation (PWM) control up to high switching frequencies, said ST.
The STGAP2SiCS, housed in a wide-body SO-8W package, is priced at $2.00 in quantities of 1,000.
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