Driving SiC MOSFET Power Switches

Controlling SiC MOSFET Power Switches with a full range of SCALE Gate Driver Products

Silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs dramatically improve switching performance for high power inverter applications, providing high breakdown electric field strength and carrier drift velocity while enhancing thermal performance. However, SiC requires faster short-circuit protection in more compact designs, posting unique challenges for gate drivers that need to support varying voltages in different SiC architectures.

SCALE-iDriver SiC MOSFET Gate Driver ICs

PI’s new SIC1182K SCALE-iDriver IC is a high-efficiency, single-channel SiC MOSFET gate driver that delivers the highest peak-output gate current available without an external boost stage. It can be configured to support different gate-drive voltages matching the range of requirements seen in today’s SiC MOSFETs.

SCALE-2, SCALE-2+ Gate Driver Cores and SCALE-iDriver Gate Driver ICs

Besides driving conventional Si-based power devices like IGBTs and MOSFETs, SCALE-2 and SCALE-2+ gate driver cores, as well as SCALE-iDriver gate driver ICs, are able to drive SiC MOSFET power switches.

Available Gate Driver Products

SIC1182K - SiC MOSEFT Gate Driver
SCALE-iDriver - Gate Driver IC
2SC0115T-12 - SCALE-2+ Driver Core
2SC0435T-17 - SCALE-2+ Driver Core
1SC2060P-17 - SCALE-2 Driver Core with Planar Transformers
2SC0650P-17 - SCALE-2 Driver Core with Planar Transformers
2SC0535T-17 - SCALE-2 Driver Core
2SC0635T-45 - SCALE-2 Driver Core

SiC Presents Unique Challenges for Gate Drivers

SiC MOSFET switches from different suppliers and of different generations have different requirements for gate turn-on and turn-off voltage levels. Some devices are able to operate with 15 V / -10 V while others, for example, operate at 19 V / -6 V. Furthermore, some devices require a regulated turn-on voltage while others need a regulated negative turn-off voltage to ensure that they do not exceed the gate-source safe operating area.

To adjust SCALE gate drivers to the different requirements, the control (VEE regulator) of the voltage partitioning for the positive and negative voltage rails related to the gate turn-on and turn-off levels can be overruled. Please refer to Application Note AN-1601 for more details.

Figure 2. SCALE-iDriver supports different SiC MOSFETs by adjusting drive to match V_GS requirements

Figure 3. Pinning of different SCALE gate drivers with marked VEx / VEE pins

Why Drive Sic MOSFETs with SCALE Gate Drivers?

Adjustable gate voltages by external VEE circuit
<=2 μs short-circuit response time
High output current capability
High isolation capability
Advance active clamping with dv/dt feedback
High switching frequency up to 500 kHz
For SiC MOSFET breakdown voltages up to 4.5 kV
High MTBF/low FITrate
Paralleling of MOSFET modules
Suitable for all SiC MOSFET designs

Figure 4. Setting for SiC MOSFET short circuit detection

Comprehensive Protection Features of SIC1182K

SiC Advanced Active Clamping
Ultrafast short-circuit monitoring
Over-current fault turn-off
Primary and secondary undervoltage lock-out (UVLO)