Gate drivers target GaN SG HEMTs and Si MOSFETs

Infineon Technologies AG has introduced a family of EiceDRIVER 1EDN71x6G HS 200-V single-channel gate driver ICs. The new gate driver family is designed to enhance the performance of CoolGaN Schottky Gate (SG) HEMTs but it is also compatible with other GaN HEMTs and silicon (Si) MOSFETs, said the company. The gate drivers target a range of applications including DC/DC converters, motor drives, telecom, server, robots, drones, power tools, and class-D audio amplifiers.

1EDN71x6G gate drivers. Click for a larger image. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

Part examples include the strongest/fastest driving variant (1EDN7116G), which is suitable for half-bridge configurations with significant paralleling and the weakest/slowest driving variant (1EDN7146G), which can be used for some dv/dt-limited applications like motor drives or very small-die GaN (high-R DS(on), low Q g) HEMTs, said Infineon. Each device offers a different blanking time, proportional to the minimum recommended dead-time, the minimum pulse width, and the propagation delay.

Key features of the 1EDN71x6G family include a truly differential logic input (TDI), active Miller clamp, active bootstrap capacitor, four driving strengths, and an optional negative charge pump. All of these features add benefits to the family.

For example, by providing selectable pull-up and pull-down driving strengths, it enables waveform and switching speed optimization without the need for gate resistors, said Infineon, which results in a smaller power stage layout with fewer bill-of-materials components.

Another feature is the TDI that eliminates the risk of false triggering due to ground bounce in low-side applications. This enables the 1EDN71x6G gate driver to address even high-side applications, said Infineon.

1EDN71x6G block diagram. Click for a larger image. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

In addition, all variants feature an active Miller clamp with an exceptionally strong pull-down to avoid induced turn-on for extra robustness against glitching in the gate driving loop, especially when driving transistors with a high Miller ratio, said the company.

The gate drivers also offer active bootstrap clamping to avoid overcharging the bootstrap capacitor during dead-time, which protects the high-side transistor’s gate without requiring an additional regulation circuit. The family also offers an optional programmable charge pump with adjustable negative turn-off supply, which is said to provide additional Miller-induced turn-on immunity when needed, for example, when a PCB layout cannot be fully optimized.

The EiceDRIVER HS 200-V single-channel gate driver ICs (1EDN7116G, 1EDN7126G, 1EDN7136G, and 1EDN7146G) for CoolGaN SG HEMTs are available now in a PG-VSON-10 package.