electronics in motion and conversion june 2011 · 2011. 5. 28. · turning to gan devices,...
TRANSCRIPT
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ZKZ 64717
06-11ISSN: 1863-5598
Electronics in Motion and Conversion June 2011
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GvA Leistungselektronik GmbH | Boehringer Straße 10 - 12 | D-68307 Mannheim
Tel +49 (0) 621/7 89 92-0 | www.gva-leistungselektronik.de | [email protected]
INITIATING YOUR PROJECTSWelcome to the House of Competence.GvA is your expert in individual problem solutions for all sectors ofpower electronics – state of the art know how and profound experience as an engineering service provider, manufacturer and distributor.
Consulting – Design & Development – Production – Distribution
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www.bodospower.com
Viewpoint
Renewable Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PCIM Europe
Mature Materials
By Jeff Shepard, President, Darnell Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Green Product of the Month
50 Joint Reference Designs Paying Off for Power Supply Makers . . . 14
Blue Product of the Month
Ultrasonic Metal Welding Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Guest Editorial
Smart Grids and Renewable Energy
by Thomas Harder, ECPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Market
Electronics Industry Digest
By Aubrey Dunford, Europartners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Market
Darnell's Report
By Linnea Brush, Senior Analyst, Darnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
Cover Story
Benefits of Digital Power Modules for Advanced Industrial
and Communications Applications
By Josh Broline, Intersil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25
Technology
Gallium Nitride Transistors Prove Ready for General Commercial Use
By Yanping Ma, Ph.D.,Efficient Power Conversion Corporation(EPC), El Segundo, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28
Technology
Power Density – Quo vadis?
By Dr. Martin Schulz, Infineon Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31
IGBT Drivers
IGBT Switch Drivers
By Tom Lawson, CogniPower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-35
Protection
Solar Installations Control & Protection
By Bernard Richard, Claude Gudel and Stéphane Rollier, LEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-40
Protection
Photovoltaic Market: Over-Current Protection
By Franck Ageron, Product Manager Surge Protective Devices,Mersen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43
Protection
Overvoltage Protection in Photovoltaic Systems
By Igor Juricev, Iskra Zascite d.o.o. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45
Portable Power
Design Considerations for Implementing Multiple Sources Charging
Solutions
By Miguel Aguirre and Sudha Chirra, Texas Instruments . . . . . 46-48
Oscillator Design
Enhancing Power Supply Rejection Ratio for Low-Jitter Clocks
By Phil Callahan, Senior Marketing Manager, Timing Products, Silicon Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-52
Technology
Thermal Management in Surface-Mounted Resistor Applications
By Dr. Kevin Raiber, Vishay Draloric/ Beyschlag Resistor Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-56
New Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-64
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Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com2
TThhee GGaalllleerryy
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Intersolar in Munich will be a great opportu-
nity to see what solar can contribute to
renewable energy. The H2Expo in Hamburg
will present hydrogen solutions that are cur-
rently being tested in the market and at this
year’s Sensor and Test in Nuremberg we will
see how new test and measurement tech-
nologies can help save resources.
I am at home now, after exciting days at the
PCIM in Nuremberg and the Coilwinding
Conference in Berlin, and now have time to
reflect on all I learned at these conferences.
Upcoming issues of my magazine will fea-
ture articles on the key subjects that were
discussed there.
PCIM is an excellent platform for addressing
power semiconductors and solutions that
support technology for renewable energy.
The podium discussion organized by Bodo’s
Power Systems focussed on the challenges
faced by “Mature Materials” in passive ele-
ments, including to the new operating capa-
bilities of Wide Band Gap Semiconductors
SiC and GaN. Industry experts forecasted
designs that utilize the capabilities of the
new semiconductors and debated the rela-
tive merits of SiC and GaN, in some cases
with spirited arguments. Jeff Shepard of Dar-
nell provides an excellent summary of the
discussion on page 6.
The PCIM was never before so busy! Its
growth this year illustrates the important con-
tribution of power electronics to a world
increasingly focused on clean and renew-
able energy sources. I did see a good num-
ber of friends, but unfortunately not everyone
I wanted to. I will follow up with individual
contacts over the next couple of weeks. It is
always great to be busy, but sometimes diffi-
cult getting everything done.
Communication is the only way to progress.
My magazine provides information to all of
'you, including those for whom travel to rele-
vant trade shows is not possible. We have
now delivered six issues this year with 386
pages of information - on time, every time.
As a media partner, Bodo’s Power Systems
is internationally positioned and represented
at more than two dozen shows and confer-
ences worldwide.
The asparagus season is still on in June -
enjoy this gift of nature while you can!
My Green Power Tip for June:
Talk to your friends and colleagues before
going shopping. Delegate items from your
list. If you need not go, you may have time
for something more useful.
Or: Go to PCIM Europe next year and learn
from industry colleagues about all of their
great ideas!
Looking forward to seeing you at one of the
next shows!
Best Regards
Solar Powerand Hydrogen
V I E W P O I N T
4
A MediaKatzbek 17a
D-24235 Laboe, Germany
Phone: +49 4343 42 17 90
Fax: +49 4343 42 17 89
www.bodospower.com
Publishing EditorBodo Arlt, [email protected]
Creative Direction & ProductionRepro Studio Peschke
Free Subscription to qualified readers
Bodo´s Power Systems
is available for the following
subscription charges:
Annual charge (12 issues) is 150 €
world wide
Single issue is 18 €
circulation print run
20000
Printing by:
Central-Druck Trost GmbH & Co
Heusenstamm, Germany
A Media and Bodos Power Systems
assume and hereby disclaim any
liability to any person for any loss or
damage by errors or omissions in the
material contained herein regardless of
whether such errors result from
negligence accident or any other cause
whatsoever.
Events
Sensor and Test,
Nuremberg, June 7th-9th
www.sensor-test.com
Intersolar,
Munich, June 8th-10th
www.intersolar.de
H2Expo,
Hamburg, June 8th-11th
www.h2expo.de
PCIM Asia,
Shanghai, June 21st-23rd
www.pcim-china.com/pcimeng/main.htm
SEMICON West,
San Francisco July 12th-14th
www.semiconwest.org
EPE
Birmingham UK, Aug. 30th- Sept.1st
www.epe2011.com
Solar Energy,
Hamburg Sep. 5th-9th
www.photovoltaic-conference.com
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Two nominal current ranges: 0.3 and 0.6 ARMSPrinted circuit mountingLarge 20.1 mm diameter apertureAvailable with primary inserted conductor+5 V single supplyUp to 11 mm creepage and clearance distances + CTI 600 for high insulation
Low offset drift–40 to +105° C operationReference Voltage access and controlSelf-test and degaussHigh overload capability: 3300 A
www.lem.com At the heart of power electronics.
Solar energy committed to a lifetime of safety and performance
LEM commits to renewable energy sources of the future by enabling control and ensuringsafety of today’s solar power solutions. CTSR transducers combine safety and performance, accurately measuring small AC and DC leakage currents. Easy installation for single or threephase residual current measurement: CTSR is today’s choice for the energy of tomorrow.
CTSR
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The Wednesday afternoon panel discussion at this year’s PCIM
Europe event was organized by Bodo’s Power Systems and
designed to focus on the ability of devices such as capacitors and
thermal management systems to support the advanced capabilities of
new power switches made with SiC and GaN. Panelists represented
Cree, CPS Technologies, Infineon, International Rectifier, SBE, Semi-
South, TranSiC/Fairchild Semiconductor and Transphorm.
The discussions ended on a high-energy note during the Q&A time,
with a “heated” debate of the relative merits of SiC and GaN power
switches. John Palmour, CTO for Advanced Devices at Cree took the
first question about the relative defect densities in SiC and GaN. He
observed that “defect densities make a difference.”
Dr. Palmour continued, “GaN on silicon has a million times the defect
density of today’s SiC materials and the GaN devices don’t have
proven field reliability while Cree’s SiC devices have a proven reliabil-
ity of 0.4 FITs based on 127,400,000,000 device hours in the field.
That is twice as good as conventional silicon device reliability.”
Umesh Mishra, Chairman and CEO of Transphorm observed that
since SiC devices are vertical structures, defects in SiC are much
more detrimental to performance and reliability than are defects in
lateral GaN structures. And he commented, “It is possible to over-
come any potential problems with defects by sufficiently derating the
GaN devices.”
Drs. Mishra and Palmour agreed that the wider band gap of GaN rel-
ative to SiC makes it easier to implement the needed levels of derat-
ing in practical GaN devices. Dr. Mishra commented, “That solves the
problem of derating GaN devices to compensate for defect densities.”
Tim McDonald, International Rectifier’s Vice President of Emerging
Technologies closed the session with a prediction that, “GaN will be
the dominant material for devices rated for below 1,200V and SiC will
dominate the higher-voltage area such as 1,700V devices.”
In the lead-up to the active Q&A session, Jeff Cassidy, CTO with
SemiSouth started the discussions by pointing out that the latest SiC
JFETs being developed by his company produce performance levels
nearing the theoretical limit for 4H SiC materials. When used in a
photovoltaic inverter design, the SiC devices operate at 3-times the
frequency of corresponding silicon devices, deliver 3-times the power
density and offer improved efficiency. SemiSouth’s SiC devices are
offered in modules from Vincotech and Microsemi for each of integra-
tion into inverters and other power converters.
Mats Reimark, Sr. Director with the TranSiC division of Fairchild
Semiconductor followed with a presentation of the capabilities of his
company’s SiC bipolar power transistors. The TranSiC devices fea-
ture a positive temperature coefficient for easier paralleling with no
secondary breakdown, very good high-temperature capabilities and
very fast switching capabilities, 3- to 4-times that of silicon IGBTs.
Ralf Keggenhoff, Sr. Marketing Manager and Head of Application
Engineering with Infineon, continued the discussion of the impact of
wide band gap devices on power system design. Infineon offers SiC
Schottkys with ratings of 600V, 1,200V, and 1,700V and SiC JFETs
rated for 1,200V. He observed that “devices such as these are
required for today’s high performance systems.”
Mr. Keggenhoff also discussed the importance of advanced packag-
ing when using these SiC devices. He reviewed Infineon’s ‘dot XT’
technology that features improved interconnections that can increase
module lifetimes by 10-times or support a 25% increase in power
density. Key features of the technology include low stray inductances
and improved thermal interfaces designed to operate at elevated
temperatures.
Turning to GaN devices, Transphorm’s Dr, Mishra shared three of the
many possible applications for GaN power designs. He showed the
results of a “Total GaN” 300W dc-dc boost converter that delivers
over 99% efficiency with an operating frequency of 100-kHz.
Dr. Mishra also reviewed a 1.5-kW diode-free pure sine wave motor
drive inverter with an efficiency of 98.8%, operating at 100-kHz and a
750-kHz power factor correction module. Finally, he “busted the myth
that high-frequency GaN power switches produce more EMI noise
than lower-frequency silicon devices” by showing a side-by-side com-
parison of two 90W power converters. The GaN converter was
switching at twice the frequency of the silicon-based design, and the
EMI spectrums were essentially the same from 150-kHz up to 30-
MHz.
IR’s McDonald presented an analysis of the “requirements for com-
mercially viable GaN devices.” IR is interested in wide-spread adop-
tion of the new technology, not niche applications. He pointed out
that the “performance/cost of GaN needs to be at least two- to three-
times the same ratio for silicon devices, the total EPI plus substrate
cost for GaN needs to be similar to that for silicon, the leakage cur-
rent needs to be under 1 microamp per millimeter and the ratio of the
on/off current levels needs to be at least 100,000:1 with truly crack
free EPI and yields of greater than 80%”
P C I M E U R O P E
6 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
Mature MaterialsNew Power Switches vs. Mature Materials at PCIM Europe
By Jeff Shepard, President, Darnell Group
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He reiterated IR’s “possible 650V GaN
Roadmap” that projects an improvement
from today’s situation where high-voltage
GaN offers a two-times improvement in fig-
ure of merit versus superjunction silicon
MOSFETS to an eight-times improvement in
performance by 2015.
Furthermore, McDonald observed that to be
a mainstream technology “GaN needs to be
produced on large diameter (at least
150mm) wafers and in volumes of greater
than 10,000 wafer starts per week. One hun-
dred thousand 150mm wafer equivalents are
needed to support 10% of the total power
semiconductor market at current utilization
rates.”
Cree’s Dr. Palmour noted that SiC is an
established technology that offers proven
performance and reliability. He noted,
“Cree’s two largest customers for SiC JBS
diodes have commented ‘Your parts are
much more reliable than the silicon parts we
were using’.”
According to Dr. Palmour, “Cree’s 80 mil-
liohm, 30A SiC MOSFETs are poised to
replace silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs in high-
efficiency, high-speed power designs.” He
also noted that the devices are true MOS-
FETs with simple drive requirements and are
scalable to higher currents though parallel-
ing. He closed by stating “it’s a myth that the
gate oxides in SiC MOSFETs are unreliable
and that the body diodes degrade, we have
performed extensive accelerated life-time
testing and fine no degradation in today’s
devices.”
Dr. Mark Occhionero, VP Marketing and
Technical Sales with CPS Technologies fol-
lowed up on the dialog about advanced,
high-speed semiconductor devices with a
presentation about AlSiC metal matrix com-
posites. He noted that wide band gap
devices operate at higher temperatures as
well as higher frequencies and higher effi-
ciencies and demand new solutions for ther-
mal management.
Closing out the opening part of the discus-
sions, Dr. Michael Brubaker, CTO and VP of
Engineering at SBE offered metallized-
polyproplyene (MPP) capacitors as an
optional solution for use with wide band-gap
semiconductor devices. He enumerated sev-
eral important attributes including: cost,
availability, high breakdown strength, low
losses, self healing, long life, linear charac-
teristics and good frequency response as
key features.
When used in high-power, high-frequency
converters, MPP designs can operate at 105
degrees C coolant temperatures with a mini-
mal temperature rise of 2 degrees at a
steady-state ripple current of 150A rms at 20
kHz. Options for higher-frequency and high-
er-temperature operation are currently being
developed by SBE in cooperation with both
GE and DuPont.
Then the Q&S part of the dialog began with
a question from the floor: “Dr. Palmour,
please amplify on your comments related to
the performance and reliability impact of the
increased defect densities in GaN devices
relative to SiC devices.” And the discussions
ended on a high-energy note during the
Q&A time, with a “heated” debate of the rela-
tive merits of SiC and GaN power switches.
You can find complete news coverage of the
global power electronics industry at:
www.PowerPulse.net
7www.bodospower.com June 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®
Supplier of
customized
shunts
Substitute for transformers –5 letters
SMD shunt resistors save spaceand offer a number of advantages:
High pulse loadability (10J)High total capacity (7W)Very low temperature dependency overa large temperature rangeLow thermoelectric voltageCustomer-specific solutions (electrical/mechanical)
Areas of use:
Power train technology (automotive andnon-automotive applications), digital electricitymeters, AC/DC as well as DC/DC converters,power supplies, IGBT modules, etc.
Telephone: +49 (27 71) 9 34-0 [email protected]
www.isabellenhuette.de
Innovation from tradition
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8 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
N E W S
Bodos Power is offering readers the chance to win a Microchip F1
Evaluation kit, containing an F1 Evaluation Platform and PICkit3. The
F1 Evaluation Platform is a simple development tool for Enhanced
Mid-range PIC microcontrollers (PIC12F1XXX/PIC16F1XXX) and
demonstrates the capabilities & low power enhancements of these
new PIC microcontrollers. Included with a PICkit3 for quick program-
ming, this kit provides a platform for general purpose development
and gives you the ability to develop code for any
PIC12F1XXX/PIC16F1XXX microcontroller. Quick & easy develop-
ment is ensured with the integrated functionality including: prototyp-
ing area, LCD control, system current monitoring, temperature sens-
ing, Real-Time-Clock, LED drive, button control, and BLDC motor
control.
The kit includes a F1 Evaluation Platform, PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debug-
ger, USB Cable, Platform & Demonstration Guide, Source code for
included demonstrations and Board schematics.
For the chance to win an F1 development tool, please visit
http://www.microchip-comps.com/bp-f1
Win a Microchip F1 Evaluation kit
Richardson RFPD, Inc, announced the
release of its 2011 supplier line card. The
16-page booklet includes listings for over
220 product categories from 78 of the indus-
try’s leading global suppliers of discrete
devices, components and assemblies used
in RF and Wireless Infrastructure, Network-
ing, Digital Broadcasting, Defense,
Microwave and Power Conversion.
The new, expanded 2011 line card is
designed to help customers search for prod-
ucts by supplier or product category. The
dual-format document features the most up-
to-date listing of Richardson RFPD suppliers
of RF Active Component Solutions, RF Pas-
sive and Electromechanical Solutions, RF
Interconnect Solutions, High Power Conver-
sion Passive Products and Power Semicon-
ductors for renewable energy and high
power applications.
The Richardson RFPD line card is available
as a downloadable PDF from the company’s
website: www.richardsonrfpd.com. Print
copies will be distributed globally by local
field sales engineers at customer visits and
tradeshows.
www.richardsonrfpd.com
Line Card Provides Easy Access to Leading Component Suppliers
The government in Russia continues to sup-
port the information technology sector,
including semiconductor, LED/SSL and pho-
tovoltaic initiatives. Russia’s state strategy is
aimed at building a strong, innovative econo-
my. Currently, in addition to three major and
seven second tier ongoing semiconductor
manufacturing projects in Russia, eight
investment ventures now under considera-
tion by Rusnano for funding. These projects
include semiconductors and PV (Polysilicon,
solar cells and modules). What Russia
needs is a platform for technological infor-
mation exchange that, over time, will enable
Russia’s IC industry to progress to advanced
levels of manufacturing…
That’s where SEMICON Russia (May 31-
June 2) comes in — a venue for interaction
between local semiconductor producers and
global equipment and materials suppliers.
Featuring over 130 exhibitors and more than
1,500 expected attendees, the show is sup-
ported by the volunteer efforts of the Russ-
ian Advisory Committee, the local semicon-
ductor industry, Russian government agen-
cies, as well as delegates from the European
Commission for Nanotechnology.
In addition to the exhibits, SEMICON Russia
offers outstanding business and technical
programs, including the Semiconductor Mar-
ket Forum with LED session on June 1. The
SOLARCON Pavilion features the PV Market
Forum on May 31. Technical seminars cover
topics from semiconductor, LED, MEMS and
other technologies to insights into the Russ-
ian PV market.
www.pvgroup.org
www.semi.org/europe
Driving Growth in Russia
As part of the investment volume planned
for the 2011 fiscal year, Infineon Tech-
nologies is investing about Euro 198 mil-
lion in production capacity expansion and
in research and development in Austria.
Infineon intends to create 400 jobs in
Austria in the course of this fiscal year.
Infineon’s workforce at the Villach, Linz,
Klagenfurt, Graz and Vienna sites current-
ly totals around 2,500 employees, of
whom approximately 900 are engaged in research and development.
“The continued strong demand for our semiconductor solutions in the
growth markets of energy efficiency, mobility and security calls for
capacity expansion. The lion’s share of the investment in Austria will
go to chip development and manufacture for power engineering and
automotive electronics,” says Dr. Reinhard Ploss, Member of the
Management Board responsible for Operations, R&D and Labor
Director at Infineon Technologies AG.
www.infineon.com
Infineon Invests Euro 198 Million in Austria
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SKiN TechnologyWire bond-free
Reliable and space-savingpackaging technology forpower semiconductors
Free from thermal paste and solder
10 x higher power cycling
Current density of power unitdoubled: 3 A/cm2
For 35% smaller inverters
Standard Technology
Australia +61 3-85 61 56 00 Brasil +55 11-41 86 95 00 Cesko +420 37 80 51 400 China +852 34 26 33 66 Deutschland +49 911-65 59-0 España +34 9 36 33 58 90 France +33 1-30 86 80 00 India +91 222 76 28 600 Italia +39 06-9 11 42 41 Japan +81 68 95 13 96 Korea +82 32-3 46 28 30 Mexico +52 55-53 00 11 51 Nederland +31 55-5 29 52 95 Österreich +43 1-58 63 65 80 Polska +48 22-6 15 79 84 Russia +7 38 33 55 58 69 Schweiz +41 44-9 14 13 33 Slovensko +421 3 37 97 03 05 Suid-Afrika +27 12-3 45 60 60 Suomi +358 9-7 74 38 80 Sverige +46 8-59 4768 50 Türkiye +90 21 6-688 32 88 United Kingdom +44 19 92-58 46 77 USA +1 603-8 83 81 02 [email protected] www.semikron.com
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10 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
N E W S
Bregenz, September 27 – 29, 2011, LEDs
(light emitting diode) have become quite suit-
able for the mass market lately. Therefore it
was a natural step for the German consumer
safety group to not only name CFLs (com-
pact fluorescent lamps) as classic energy
saving lamps in the framework of a big test
but they also examined LED lamps in their
4/2010 issue.
New Technical Challenges: Except for a few
exceptions, in contrast to light bulbs (or
CFLs), LEDs are not suitable for direct con-
nection to the 230V alternating voltage
because they need meticulously regulated
current with DC power of only a few volts.
For this, special electronic know-how is nec-
essary which is often not available from the
classic luminaire manufacturer. Although
LED light sources are very energy efficient,
the semiconductor gives off heat – but in a
completely different way than the illuminants
used up until now, which means efficient
thermo-management is an absolute must.
On the other hand, through targeted driving
of different LEDs, there is the possibility of
producing practically any colour at all,
whereby the end user can adapt the color
and intensity to his own personal taste
whenever he wants. It is necessary to have
real system integration of LED, electronic,
optic, thermo-management and production
know-how when designing LED luminaires.
The LED Conference in Bregenz: The use of
LEDs for lighting purposes is a highly com-
plex subject and that is exactly what the
people at Luger Research noticed at their
location in Dornbirn, Austria. For this reason,
Luger Research is hosting the Conference
called LED professional Symposium + Expo
2011 in Bregenz on Lake Constance on Sep-
tember 27th to 29th with the emphasis on
LED Lighting Technologies – Winning
Approaches.
LpS 2011 offers developers, buyers, users
as well as researchers, suppliers of LEDs
and system solutions, distributors, engineer-
service providers as well as other people
interested in the subject, an information and
communication platform all about the imple-
mentation of LEDs in lighting applications.
The organizer, Luger Research, has already
been able to win top class speakers. MIT
professor, Dr. Sergei Ikovenko will not only
give a report on the technology evolution of
lighting solutions on the basis of LEDs but is
also running a workshop called “Disruptive
Innovation Technology – Winning Approach-
es in LED Lighting”. This workshop will bring
the participants closer to successful best
practices for development projects in the
area of LED lighting.
www.lps2011.com
LED Professional Symposium + Expo 2011
A brightness of 1,000 cd/m² and more is
necessary for displays to cope with bright
daylight, when built in e-kiosks and vending
machines positioned outdoors. On gloomy,
rainy days, half of the display brightness is
more than enough to render easy to read
image content and at nights 200 cd/m² and
less not only will do but is essential not to
blind customers. Sharp's industrial grade
high brightness LCDs with LED backlight
combine the backlight power needed with
the flexibility to control display brightness for
a brilliant image performance under the ever
changing ambient light conditions, typically
found with e-kiosk solutions and vending
machines. The latest high brightness models
even have the driving unit for Pulse Width
Modulated dimming already on board,
facilitating the design-in for customers. Fur-
thermore, extended operating temperatures
from -20°C up to 60°C ensure functionality of
the display as human-machine-interface
(HMI) even under harsh outdoor climate con-
ditions.
Together with Avnet Embedded Sharp pre-
sented a selection of high brightness dis-
plays at the Screenmedia Expo in London,
Uk and at the Digital Signage Expo in
Essen, Germany.
www.sharpsme.com
Sharp had Teamed-up with Avnet Embedded at Vertical Shows
EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company and the
leading specialist in EMEA semiconductor
distribution, dedicates the sixth issue of its
knowledge magazine ‘The Quintessence’
(TQ) to the topic of healthcare. The TQ mag-
azine takes a look at the advancements
made in medical technology over recent
years.
Bernd Schlemmer, Director Communications
at EBV Elektronik, explains: “According to
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), spending on
health is forecast to rise faster than growth
in GDP through to 2050, and in some coun-
tries it will account for as much as 15 per-
cent of total economic output. And the global
demographic shift is also having an effect:
the world’s population is currently growing by
some 78 million every year. So the market
for healthcare products will be correspond-
ingly larger, too.” Schlemmer continues: “At
the same time, the medical technology sec-
tor is highly innovative, utilising technologies
from a wide variety of fields. Diagnostic,
therapeutic and preventive procedures are
increasingly based on the complex
interaction between different technologies,
with electronics playing a key role.
Almost all innovation in the sector is based
on electronics know-how.”
In ‘The Quintessence of Healthcare’, EBV
takes a look at the advancements made in
medical technology over recent years. Start-
ing with minimal-invasive surgery, with which
far more gentle surgery and faster healing is
possible, to modern imaging techniques that
form the basis for increasingly precise diag-
noses. The magazine reports on robots in
the operating theatre and on prostheses
which can be controlled by thought. Another
important area in ageing societies are tele-
health solutions with which patients can be
continuously monitored and cared for, also at
home.
www.ebv.com
‘The Quintessence’ Magazine, Covering the Subject Healthcare
-
2SP0115T Gate DriverUnleash the full power of your converter design using the new 2SP0115T Plug-and-Play driver. With its direct paralleling capability, the scalability of your design into highest power ratings is unlimited. Rugged SCALE-2 technology enables the complete
the size of 17mm dual modules. Combined with the CONCEPT advanced active clam-ping function, the electrical performance of the IGBT can be fully exploited while keeping the SOA of the IGBT. Needless to say that the high integration level provides the best possible reliability by a minimzed number of components.
FeaturesPlug-and-Play solution1W output power15A gate current
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12 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
N E W S
One of the Mersen group’s
main facilities located at
Saint-Bonnet de Mûre near
Lyon has gained ISO 14001
(environment) and EN 16001
(energy efficiency) certifica-
tion, thereby becoming the
first industrial plant in France
to be awarded this new
accreditation.
EN 16001 Energy Manage-
ment Systems, a European
standard published in July
2009, defines energy man-
agement requirements and
sets out recommendations
helping businesses to comply with them. ISO 14001 accreditation
certifies a site’s performance in terms of its environmental impact.
The Saint-Bonnet de Mûre facility, which is one of the Group’s main
plants in France, manufactures equipment enhancing the safety and
reliability of electrical equipment. The certification program that it
implemented enabled it to rally its workers behind the goal of reduc-
ing its energy bill and mitigating its environmental impact.
The facility gained these certifications by pursuing collective and
pragmatic programs involving the entire workforce, which was edu-
cated and trained to perform simple gestures to unlock energy sav-
ings and help protect the environment.
These certifications are part of the Mersen group’s drive to promote
energy efficiency and sustainable development.
www.mersen.com
Industrial Plant in France to Secure EN 16001 Certification
Rogers Corporation’s Advanced Circuit
Materials Division (ACMD) opened a new
production facility in Asia, one of its largest
market regions. Rogers’ new ACMD Suzhou,
China manufacturing facility represents a
major investment in the modern China
Suzhou Innovation Park
(http://www.csibi.cn). This ACMD dedicated
production facility significantly increases
Rogers’ global capacity for its high-perform-
ance RO4000® circuit laminates by about
50%, with room for additional growth.
The grand opening of ACMD Suzhou was
held on April 13th and was attended by over
one-hundred people, including representa-
tives from customer companies that will use
product made in the new facility, Suzhou
Innovation Park officials, and Rogers
employees from around the World. Michael
D. Bessette, Senior Vice-President for
Rogers ACMD commented: “I am pleased to
see we have with us today our highly valued
and greatly appreciated customers. It is for
our customers in China and throughout Asia
that we have made a $20 million investment
in this factory, and another sizable invest-
ment in our people here in Suzhou and
across Asia. These investments position us
well to better serve our customers’ needs.”
The new facility, which includes manufactur-
ing, engineering, quality control and cus-
tomer service functions, boosts Rogers’
worldwide production capability for its popu-
lar RO4000 high-frequency circuit laminates.
The materials are widely used as the printed
circuit boards (PCBs) for power amplifiers in
third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation
(4G) cellular wireless communications sys-
tems. The facility houses state-of-the art
material and electrical analysis capabilities in
support of technical service, market develop-
ment, and sales organizations throughout
Asia.
Rogers Corporation first expanded into
China in 2002 with a manufacturing facility
for its ENDUR division. Between 2004 and
2010, Rogers added another four factories
within the industrial park site, opening its
sixth facility in April 2011—ACMD Suzhou—
as the industrial park itself is making its tran-
sition to a science and technology focused
innovation park.
www.rogerscorp.com
Grand Opening ACMD Suzhou, China Manufacturing Facility
H2Expo2 / 14 April 2011 New methods are
needed for further expansion of future ener-
gy and mobility technologies – that is emerg-
ing more and more clearly at the present
time. Discussion has re-opened on the use
of nuclear energy, and the situation in North
Africa demonstrates the insecurity of current
supplies. That makes it evident that great
efforts are needed in the search for low-risk
alternative to nuclear power and petroleum,
to secure independent energy supplies for
the future. Hydrogen technologies, fuel cells
and electric drives can now make a vital
contribution – they are increasingly ready for
practical application, following a long phase
of development. A forum for intensive know-
how transfer, dialogue and networking in
these areas is provided by H2Expo in Ham-
burg, which is the European Green Capital
2011. The experts from Germany and
abroad will meet at the conference on 8 and
9 June, to discuss the latest status of
research, development and application, and
to present current projects. A total of about
70 speakers are expected at the conference,
from 11 countries. The industry will show-
case its market-specific products and servic-
es at the accompanying exhibition.
The core of the innovation forum H2Expo is
the conference, which will now be held in the
new conference area near the Television
Tower, following relocation of the event from
Congress Center CCH to the neighbouring
Hamburg Fair site. It starts on 8 June with a
symposium on the current state of hydrogen
and fuel cell technology and on electric
drives. It includes a panel discussion with
leading representatives of the German Engi-
neering Federation (VDMA), the Federal
Ministry of Economics and Technology, and
the aviation, shipping and automotive indus-
tries, analysing the future role of fuel cells,
batteries and electric drives. This will be
chaired by Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, General Man-
ager of the National Organisation for Hydro-
gen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW).
www.h2expo.com
Focus on Innovative Technology Applications
-
The intensified reference design cooperation of STMicroelectronics,
one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, and TDK-EPC
that is focusing on the development of best-in-market designs for dif-
ferent kinds of power supplies is paying off. The two partners recently
completed their 50th joint reference design in one year that combines
state-of-the-art ICs from STMicroelectronics and electronic compo-
nents from TDK-EPC, a group company of TDK Corporation and a
leading manufacturer of electronic components, modules and sys-
tems. The aim of STMicroelectronics and TDK-EPC is to create test-
ed energy-saving solutions for their customers’ applications in areas
such as lighting or solar power.
Reference designs have long been an important marketing tool for
the semiconductor industry. They allow their customers to implement
state-of-the-art applications rapidly and with minimal additional
design effort. One of the major design challenges for the IC manu-
facturers however is the selection and qualification of the most
suitable passive components, which are a determining factor for the
energy efficiency of the designs.
For this reason, STMicroelectronics joined forces with TDK-EPC. “We
partner with TDK-EPC because they provide us access to the broad-
est spectrum of high quality passive components in the market,”
explains Dr. Ulrich Kirchenberger, Senior Market Development Man-
ager Energy Efficiency. “Our customers know that reference designs
qualified with EPCOS and TDK products will work reliably without any
further design effort.”
Reference designs, especially for power supplies, are gaining in po-
pularity among a broad spectrum of manufacturers. A key reason
according to Davide Giavarini, TDK-EPC’s coordinator for reference
designs with Italy-based STMicroelectronics, is that “they allow our
customers to concentrate on their own core competences, while
simultaneously speeding up time to market and reducing develop-
ment costs.”
The jointly developed reference designs cover a very wide spectrum
of switch-mode power supplies, including small DC-DC converters
such as new MPPT micro inverters for solar modules, AC-DC invert-
ers for LED lighting, and many more.
TDK-EPC has established an international sales team for reference
designs. Together with engineers from TDK-EPC’s Business Groups,
the team coordinates reference design projects with leading IC man-
ufacturers and design houses and provides global support to cus-
tomers who use the components from TDK-EPC in the reference
designs. For more information contact TDK-EPC’s Reference Design
team at: [email protected]
An overview of TDK-EPC reference designs can be found under
www.epcos.com/ref-design
14
G R E E N P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H
Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
50 New Joint Reference Designs Paying Off for Power Supply
Makers
Figure 1: MPPT micro inverter for solar modules optimizes the effi-ciency of photovoltaic systems
Figure 2: High-efficiency 1000 W SMPS for motor control in house-hold appliances
Figure 3: AC-DC converter for LED street lighting
-
- 70
94 -
01-
2011
We’ve shortened our name. And increased your expertise in thesafe and reliable transmission, distribution, and control of power.
Ferraz Shawmutis
now
Mersen France SB S.A.S.Rue Jacques de Vaucanson
F-69720 Saint-Bonnet-de-MureTél. + 33 4 72 22 66 11
mersen.com
What’s in a name? More products, solutions, and support than you’ve everhad before to keep everything running safely. Changing our name changesthe game, giving you all of Ferraz Shawmut plus even more resources toincrease your expertise in the protection of power electronics, controls,transmission, and distribution. Ready for the next level? It’s waiting for you atmersen.com
-
Cornell Dubilier relies on Sonobond Ultrasonics technology to weld
multiple layers of foil to capacitor posts. The process helps ensure
that the capacitors are produced quickly and conform to the highest
standards of dependability. The company has been very pleased by
both the performance of Sonobond’s equipment and by its commit-
ment to helping them find customized welding solutions. As a result,
Cornell Dubilier is in the process of adding a SonoWeld® 1600 Spot
Welder to their Liberty, South Carolina facility. The new unit will give
them the capacity to weld even more layers of foils to the capacitor
posts—all in a single pulse. According to Tom Crumpton, Production
Superintendent at Cornell Dubilier, “Sonobond technology is quick
and dependable. It delivers repeatably excellent welds. In addition,
Sonobond provides fast, reliable technical support. I’d rate their per-
formance as practically a ‘10.’ You can’t do better than that! We
especially commend Melissa Alleman, Sonobond’s vice president,
and her associates for their ability to provide the specialty tooling for
our specific spot welding requirements and for responding promptly
to our questions and requests. This combination of outstanding tech-
nology and hands-on commitment to good service has made us
eager to add the new SonoWeld® 1600 to our production capabili-
ties.”
Sonobond’s Patented Wedge-Reed Coupling System
Ultrasonic metal welding is fast, cost-effective, and environmentally-
friendly. It creates solid-state metallurgical bonds without the use of
heat, current, fluxes, or fillers.The process utilizes a welding tip to
direct high-frequency ultrasonic energy to the surface between the
metals being welded. The vibratory energy disperses the oxides and
surface films between the work pieces to produce a bond without
melting the materials.
However, Sonobond metal spot welders, such as those used by Cor-
nell Dubilier, give manufacturers an important added advantage over
other types of ultrasonic metal welding equipment. That’s because
Sonobond uses their patented Wedge-Reed bonding system that
combines high vibratory force with low amplitude coupling to produce
maximum metal welding effectiveness. The Wedge-Reed system
achieves highly dependable welds because it utilizes shear mode
vibration that is parallel to the welding surface. Bending stress is
eliminated by positioning the line of force directly over the welding
surface. Non-ferrous similar or dissimilar metal assemblies can be
confidently welded, including copper to aluminum. Even lightly tinned
or oxidized metals can be accommodated.
Cornell Dubilier is currently in the process of adding Sonobond’s
2,500-watt SonoWeld® 1600 metal spot welder to its production facili-
ty. This easy-to-use, microprocessor-controlled metal welding system
offers multi-function capabilities never before available in a single
ultrasonic welder. It performs spot welds in a single pulse and with
repeatable accuracy. This includes welding multiple layers and/or del-
icate foils to tabs or terminals. The addition of special tooling enables
the unit to provide wire-to-terminal welding.
A microprocessor built into the power supply can store and recall up
to 250 weld protocols from memory. Weld parameters can be set up
by time, total energy, or final weld thickness. The unit, which is avail-
able as either a 1,500-watt or 2,500-watt model, has an RS232 port
to transfer weld data to a computer. Automatic control monitoring
detects when variables exceed preset power and time limits. It also
senses if a part height is different from that originally set, as well as
wrong-part or no-part welding.
Confident in Sonobond Performance
According to Scott Day, Electronic Technician at Cornell Dubilier, the
decision to add a SonoWeld® 1600 with an FC2026 power supply to
the company’s production line was the result of careful consideration.
He says, “Although we gave thought to other systems, we’re very
pleased by the excellent results we’ve been getting from the
Sonobond ultrasonic welding equipment we currently use. Prior to the
introduction of Sonobond equipment some time ago, the company
used mechanical welding methods. However, we very much like the
speed, design, and ease of maintenance of Sonobond’s ultrasonic
spot welders. Their equipment is easy to use and requires only mini-
mal training. In addition, Sonobond’s technical support staff does an
excellent job of providing any help we need in making sure our units
work at peak efficiency.”
Quality Control Features of the SonoWeld® 1600
In discussing installation of their new Sonobond unit, Mr. Day goes
on to say, “We’re especially impressed by the feedback loop feature
of the SonoWeld® 1600. This feature will tell us how much power
we’ve used to make a weld. If our set points are met, we know
we’ve gotten the quality weld we require. In other words, the
SonoWeld® 1600 will not only provide us with fast, repeatably accu-
B L U E P R O D U C T O F T H E M O N T H
16 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
Ultrasonic Metal Welding Technology
Figure 1:SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder Series
-
www.bodospower.com June 2011
rate welds, it will also help ensure that our capacitors continue to
adhere to Cornell Dubilier’s exacting standards.”
Although the SonoWeld® 1600 Digital Metal Spot Welder is capable
of welding up to eight layers of foil, Cornell Dubilier currently uses its
Sonobond equipment to weld a maximum of four layers to its capaci-
tor posts. However, the company is evaluating the possibility of
eventually increasing this. The SonoWeld® 1600 will give them the
added capacity they may want in the future without requiring them to
change to another model.
Over Half a Century of Innovation and Leadership
For over 50 years, Sonobond has been a recognized worldwide
leader in the application of ultrasonic welding technology.
The company — then known as Aeroprojects — received the first
patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding in 1960. Since then,
Sonobond has built and maintained a well-earned reputation for its
pioneering work and quality-engineered products. Today the company
manufactures a complete line of ultrasonic welding and bonding
equipment. Among Sonobond’s many customers are leading firms in
the electrical, automotive, appliance, solar, aerospace, filtration,
medical, and apparel industries.
Free Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test
As part of its commitment to superior service, Sonobond offers a free,
no-obligation Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test to help assure potential
customers that Sonobond equipment is right for their specific applica-
tion. Every effort is also made to make the installation process as
seamless as possible. In commenting on her company’s commitment
to quality service, Melissa Alleman, Sonobond’s vice president said,
“We understand that each situation is unique. So we work closely
with our customers to make sure everything goes smoothly. Anyone
choosing Sonobond equipment can count on us for reliable, in-depth
technical support before, during, and after installation.”
.
.www.cde.com
www.SonobondUltrasonics.com
BICRON® [email protected] 1 860 824 [email protected] +49(0)2871 7374
X2
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J15V
Bicron transformers deliver:
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BICRON® Gate DriveTRANSFORMERSfor IGBT Devices
-
In many places in the world we
already see first signs of the starting
climate change resulting from our
CO2 emissions. And more dramatic
consequences from the global green-
house warming are forecasted such
as the increasing incidence of
droughts, wildfires, flooding and hurri-
canes. Therefore, there was a broad
consensus and a roadmap to reduce
CO2 emissions significantly, agreed
for example in the Kyoto protocol and
the EC goals of reducing CO2 emis-
sions by 20%, improving the energy efficiency by 20% and achieving
20% renewable generation by 2020.
Several regions in the world were on the way on this roadmap
towards a more sustainable energy supply increasing the share of
renewables in the energy mix step by step. This was common policy
before the 11 March 2011, the day of the dramatic crash of Japanese
Fukushima nuclear power plant caused by a devastating earthquake
and the resulting tsunami. Since that day it seems that CO2 emission
and climate change is not a topic of interest any more. Some people
in Germany even consider to increase the share of fossil fuels to
enable the short term nuclear power phase-out.
Sustainability is a key word today, but we also need a sustainable
policy in energy related questions. A populist hype is good to win the
next elections but for long-term energy policy this is not helpful.
Therefore, we should focus on the technical challenges in continu-
ously increasing the share of energy coming from renewable sources
which leads us to the electricity grids. There is consensus that the
today´s grid is not ready to supply electricity with a major share of
renewables. It has been designed to transmit and distribute the ener-
gy from large centralised power plants which provide energy continu-
ously and on demand. The “new grid” often called Smart Grid is
faced with decentralised generation based on fluctuating energy
sources. In photovoltaics we have not only the day-and-night cycles
but at least in Europe also the influence from the weather conditions
in the different seasons. And in on-shore wind power it happens that
there is no generation for several days. The smart grid has to provide
a solution to these challenges guaranteeing security of energy supply
under these conditions. The main challenges for the smart grid are:
- ability to transmit electricity with minimum losses over long dis-
tances (HVDC)
- ability to take up energy from distributed renewable sources at any
time allowing a bidirectional flow of energy
- integrate sufficient energy storage capacity
- enable demand side management
- integrate emobility
- guaranteeing power quality according to standards
This new grid is often called smart grid which is somehow misleading
with the consequence that many people, for example at the Euro-
pean Commission in Brussels, think that Smart Grid is a pure ICT
topic. We all know that power electronics is the key technology to
control the flow of energy, and we have to continue to spread our
message to be better recognised in the smart grid discussion.
Let me come back to the situation in Germany. It seems that every-
body wants the nuclear phase-out as soon as possible and in princi-
ple people agree to the increase of renewables. But as soon as a
wind turbine, an electricity line or a pumped hydro station is planned
in their vicinity they are against and fight with enthusiasm to prevent
it. And the licensing procedure for a new electricity line takes a
decade. Presently, this defines the speed towards the new smart
grid.
www.ecpe.com
G U E S T E D I T O R I A L
18 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
Smart Grids and Renewable Energy
By Thomas Harder, ECPE
Register online!
8 – 9 June 2011Hamburg Messe
www.h2expo.com
International Conference and Exhibition on Hydrogen,Fuel Cells and Electric Drives
Hamburg, Germany
-
Next generation inverter designs for renewable energy applications demand
reliable DC link capacitors with higher capacitance values, voltage, and cur-
rent ratings. Now available in new case sizes, Cornell Dubilier’s expanded
range of Type 947C power film capacitors meet or exceed the requirements
for bulk energy storage, ripple filtering and life expectancy for wind and
solar power inverter designs, as well as electric vehicle applications. Select
from hundreds of standard catalog listings, or connect with CDE engineers to
develop special designs to your requirements.
For sample requests or more technical information, visit www.cde.com/bodo
C A PAC I TO R S O L U T I O N S F O R P OW E R E L E C T R O N I C S
���������������������
�
TYPE 947C POWER FILM CAPACITORS
85, 90 & 116 mm CASE SIZES
CAPACITANCE VALUES TO 1500 μF
APPLIED VOLTAGE TO 1300 Vdc
RIPPLE CURRENT RATINGS TO 100 Arms
M O R E O P T I O N S F O R P O W E R E L E C T R O N I C S
-
20 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
GENERAL
The global printed
electronics market is
expected to grow from
$ 2.8 billion in 2008 to
$ 24.25 billion in 2015,
at an estimated CAGR
of 38.4 percent from
2010 to 2015, so Mar-
ketsandMarkets.
Amongst all the printing techniques, screen
printing commands the largest share owing
to its wide deployment in the development of
products like sensors, RFID and displays.
SEMICONDUCTORS
In an ironic twist, supply disruptions related
to the Japan earthquake and tsunami will
contribute to higher than previously expected
global semiconductor revenue in 2011, as
shortages bolster pricing for key memory
devices, so IHS iSuppli. The latest IHS iSup-
pli semiconductor forecast for 2011, issued
on March 30, calls for annual semiconductor
revenue growth of 7.0 percent at $ 325.2 bil-
lion, up from the 5.8 percent expansion pre-
dicted in the previous outlook from early
February.
Audi, BMW, Elmos Semiconductor, the
Research Centre for Information Technology
(FZI), Infineon Technologies and Robert
Bosch are the members of the RESCAR 2.0,
a research project (RESCAR being the Ger-
man acronym for the robust design of new
electronic components for applications in the
field of electromobility) seek to enhance the
reliability and robustness of electronic auto-
motive components. The project is receiving
support from the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (BMBF) to the tune
of € 6.5 M.
NXP has established a new China Automo-
tive Technical Centre to focus on R&D, sys-
tem innovation and customer support, and
has also moved its Automotive sales and
marketing headquarters from Hamburg to
Shanghai.
TowerJazz, a specialty foundry provider, has
signed an agreement to purchase Micron
Technology’s fabrication facility in Nishiwaki
City, Hyogo, Japan. The proposed purchase
would nearly double TowerJazz’s current
internal manufacturing capacity, increasing
production by 60,000 wafers per month.
Fairchild Semiconductor is extending its
technology capabilities with the acquisition of
TranSiC, a Silicon Carbide (SiC) power tran-
sistor company. The combination of silicon
carbide technology with Fairchild’s existing
capabilities in MOSFETs, IGBTs and multi-
chip modules, positions the company to be a
leader in power transistors.
The worldwide semiconductor equipment
market grew 143 percent in 2010 to nearly $
41 billion as the market recovered from the
industry slowdown of the previous two years,
so Gartner. All major market segments grew
significantly in 2010 with automatic test
equipment (ATE) sales up by 149 percent,
wafer fab equipment (WFE) sales up by 145
percent and sales of packaging assembly
equipment (PAE) up by 127 percent.
SEMI and Semico estimate that secondary
market equipment sales reached $ 6 billion
in 2010, a 77 percent increase over 2009. At
13 percent of the total equipment spending,
the study confirms that growing importance
of secondary equipment at both 300 mm and
200 mm fabs.
OPTOELECTRONICS
Pricing in April is projected to decline mar-
ginally for large sized LCD panels, apparent-
ly suffering minimal disruption despite the
Japanese quake and tsunami disaster, so
IHS iSuppli. Across the three major large-
sized LCD panel applications for televisions,
monitors and notebooks, pricing as a whole
will fall 0.5 percent in April from March.
Cree and Osram announce the signing of a
worldwide patent cross-license agreement
covering patents from both parties in the
fields of blue LED chip technology, white
LEDs and phosphors, packaging, LED lumi-
naires and lamps, and LED lighting control
systems. Cree recently announced a similar
broad cross-license agreement with Philips
and has existing patent agreements with
Nichia and Toyoda Gosei regarding LED
technology.
PASSIVE COMPONENTS
Maxwell Technologies has more than dou-
bled production capacity for ultracapacitor
electrode, cells and modules over the past
year, and is moving forward with additional
capacity expansion to satisfy rapidly increas-
ing demand for its Boostcap ultracapacitor
products. The company has produced more
than 15 million cells of all types since setting
up initial high-volume production.
OTHER COMPONENTS
Hammond Power Solutions, a Canadian
company, has signed a definitive agreement
with Euroelettro, Italy to acquire its trans-
former business.
DISTRIBUTION
Richardson RFPD, an Arrow Electronics
company, has entered into a global business
relationship to stock, sell, and support the
design-in of Hall Effect current sensors from
Tamura.
Avnet Memec unveiled its new website,
making it quicker and simpler for design
engineers to find the product and support
information required. The new online service
now includes video content and tutorials for
core products and technologies that are
backed by support from Avnet Memec’s own
engineering team.
Mouser Electronics announces the European
expansion of its agreement with Osram Opto
Semiconductors. The distributor has also
announced a new partnership with Altium
which sees live links connecting Altium
Designer and Mouser’s extensive part infor-
mation. AltiumLive and the Altium Designer
combine to help design engineers better
manage data and deliver new content to
speed product development. Mouser also
announces that its component database is
available through EMA’s Component Infor-
mation Portal (CIP) for design engineers
using Cadence OrCAD Capture CIS. EMA
Design Automation is one of the world’s
largest electronic design automation value-
added resellers.
This is the comprehensive power related
extract from the « Electronics Industry Digest
», the successor of The Lennox Report. For
a full subscription of the report contact:
or by fax 44/1494 563503.
www.europartners.eu.com
M A R K E T
ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY DIGESTBy Aubrey Dunford, Europartners
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Mitsubishi Electric offers a big variety of Power Semiconductors fora wide range of Industrial Motor Control applications from 0.4kWto several 100kW. Besides IGBT Modules also Intelligent PowerModules (IPM) and Dual Inline Package IPM (DIPIPMTM) areavailable with extended voltage ratings.
The power modules feature state of the art CSTBTTM chip tech-
design as well as a high power cycling capability to ensure highest
MOTOR CONTROL
[email protected] · www.mitsubishichips.eu
...for highest reliability applications
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Changes are coming to the worldwide dc-dc converter IC market,
driven by new designs, new technologies and shifts in existing mar-
kets that are expected to significantly alter the converter IC land-
scape. The worldwide dc-dc converter IC market is projected to grow
from nearly 20 billion units in 2011 to just under 32 billion units in
2016, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%. This is
tremendous growth, considering the world is just coming out of a
major economic recession.
Leading the changes are the adoption of power-supply-in-package
(PSiP) and power-supply-on-chip (PwrSoC). PSiP is actually in the
forefront of this market, and it could be the “advance guard” that
eventually leads to PwrSoC adoption. A disadvantage of
converter/regulator ICs is that they often require the addition of exter-
nal components such as inductors, capacitors and/or resistors. The
development of PwrSoC and PSiP technologies is intended to reduce
or eliminate the need for external components and provide a smaller
alternative to conventional printed circuit board-based modules.
By 2016, the PSiP/PwrSoC market is expected to see sales of over
100 million units, since PSiP is already commercially available and
becoming more competitive. During the forecast period, this segment
will grow rapidly to become a significant revenue opportunity, since
average selling prices will be higher than existing products.
Few companies are making PwrSoC products; in fact, Enpirion is the
only company marketing technology by this name. They are targeting
blade servers, storage systems, network equipment, wireless base
stations, industrial automation, test and measurement equipment and
printers. Their products are meant to enable point-of-load (POL)
applications, high-efficiency and high-performance applications.
PSiP products have been around for a longer period of time,
although they aren’t always referred to this way. Texas Instruments,
Linear Technology, National Semiconductor (acquired by TI), Analog
Devices, Akros Silicon and Vicor all have products that fit the general
description of PSiP technology. These products are meant to enable
(depending on the implementation) POL designs; applications where
thermal issues are a problem; isolation; “intelligent” power manage-
ment; and data processing performance requiring high power density.
For example, TI’s TPS82671 has a dc-dc converter IC embedded in
the substrate. These types of products are making inroads now, and
they are expected to lead the way for future adoption of PwrSoC
technology.
PSiP and PwrSoC should see greater market penetration over the
forecast period for another reason, as well. PwrSoC has traditionally
been defined as a complete switch-mode dc-dc converter solution
integrated onto a single piece of silicon; and PSiP has been defined
as a highly integrated “micro-module,” usually based on multi-chip
co-packaging technology. Both of these definitions assume the inte-
gration of components including, for example, magnetics and capaci-
tors. This misses the purpose of such integration, however.
Darnell Group defines these technologies based on the functions that
the components perform. For example, an isolation barrier is typical
in many applications, but this function may be performed with multi-
ple technologies. In other words, there are alternatives to these com-
ponents for accomplishing isolation barrier, energy storage, filtering
and other functions. PwrSoC is currently less efficient and costs more
than PSiP, although companies are working on those problems and
have roadmaps for integrated (not co-packaged) magnetics. This will
be one of the most important markets to watch over the next few
years.
Even though analog controller ICs still represent the largest portion of
the worldwide dc-dc controller IC market, digital ICs are “catching up”
and many devices simply incorporate them without question. For
example, power management ICs (PMICs) and PSiP/PwrSoC are
digital IC products, and when they are included in the digital con-
troller IC segment, they represent 61% of the combined market in
2011. This share is expected to increase to 76% of the market by
2016, driven in part by the growing PMIC and PSiP/PwrSoC markets.
Digital control has permeated all aspects of the integrated circuit
business, including the analog power management sector. I²C, Sys-
tem Peripheral Interface (SPI), Power Management Bus (PMBus™)
and other interfaces have been adapted to the needs of PMICs to
implement a digital bus. For example, Summit Electronics’ PMIC pro-
grammable power manager integrates three synchronous step-down
converters, two step-up converters, one configurable step-up or step-
down converter, and one LDO linear regulator, and several digital
power control functions.
The adoption of new power architectures, such as the Central Con-
trol Architecture (CCA), is another factor driving the consumption of
IC-based solutions in place of modules. As a result, the higher
amperage levels are seeing higher growth rates and relatively strong
unit sales. Switching regulators are projected to be the largest topolo-
gy market (and an increasing share) of the 1A and above amperage
segments. LDOs hold the largest share below 1A, but they will be
less than 50% of the higher amperage segments between 2011 and
2016.
As a result of these dynamics, switching regulator ICs are taking an
increasing share from the LDO segment, which has traditionally been
the largest of the converter/regulator IC markets. In 2011, switching
regulators will represent 38% of the market, and this share will grow
to just under 44% of the market by 2016.
M A R K E T
22 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
New Technologies Drive DC-DC Converter IC Sales
By Linnea Brush, Senior Research Analyst, Darnell
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As noted above, PMICs are another fast-growing market. These
products integrate the primary power functions in portable devices
into a single chip. The chips typically integrate a battery charger, one
or more buck converters and in many cases, multiple LDOs to
address the various power functions. PMICs are considered one of
the fastest-growing semiconductor market segments. The design par-
adigm includes both analog and system-on-chip solutions using digi-
tal techniques.
Although most companies making PMICs are targeting “next genera-
tion” mobile phones, there are other applications that could provide
more opportunities going forward. As a future technology, PMICs are
expected to grow in usage as portable devices with multiple,
advanced functions become more commonplace. Smartphones and
handsets that include RF functions, for instance, could use up to
three PMICs per device. Most currently use just one, however. Many
power management semiconductor companies offer PMICs, including
Analogic Tech, Atmel, austriamicrosystems, Dialog, Freescale, Fujit-
su, IDT, Linear Technology, Maxim, Micrel, Renesas, ST Microsys-
tems, ST-Ericsson, Summit Microelectronics, Texas Instruments and
Wolfson.
Dc-dc converter ICs are not expected to replace dc-dc modules,
although packaging trends point to “hybrid” solutions that could be
defined either way. The proliferation of small, portable devices that
require increasingly complex powering solutions will ensure that new
designs in packaging continue to appear. This also extends to non-
portable systems that employ increasing numbers of voltage rails.
Consumer, automotive and computer devices are subject to shorter-
term fluctuations in demand, and the power requirements for many of
these devices is expected to change over the next five years. Con-
sumer devices, in particular, will see many of their functions going
into communications and computer devices, leading to a decline in
market share. Still, consumer is only small when compared with the
communications and computer segments, with which it is usually
lumped. It will remain a larger market than industrial, medical and
military/aerospace, for instance.
Even coming out of the recession, the long-term prospects for dc-dc
converter IC makers is optimistic, although the technical challenges
mean changes are coming to the industry. Darnell Group’s 11th edi-
tion “Worldwide DC-DC Converter IC Forecasts” report highlights the
current landscape and gives an analysis of where those changes are
likely to occur – and when.
http://www.darnell.com/dcdc
23www.bodospower.com June 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®
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Most notable, they can reduce its size, delivering a complete, integra-
tion solution that includes passives, inductors, controllers, and MOS-
FETS. Also, they can add significantly to the portability of a design
design’s portability, while reducing its size. DC/DC non-isolated
power modules offer a complete range of current and voltages in
rugged, standard packaging at a reasonable cost. They are an
excellent design option now for the next generation of communica-
tions systems and industrial products.
The DC-DC power module combines most or all of the components
necessary to deliver a plug-and-play solution that can replace up to
40 different components. This integration simplifies and speeds
designs. It also significantly reduces the total power management
footprint. The modules can be placed on the printed circuit board
close to the circuits they power, which aids in voltage regulation.
Placement becomes even more critical as subsystems operate at
higher currents, lower voltages and higher clock frequencies.
The most common of the non-isolated DC-DC power modules are
single in-line packages (SIP), open frame solutions that definitely can
simplify design. But they typically are useful for lower frequency
designs, for example, in the 300kHz range and below. Also, their
power density often is not optimal, particularly in comparison with
DC-DC modules.
These kinds of modules can help shorten total end product time-to-
market and reduce the need for manufacturers to develop power
design expertise. But they require a comprehensive evaluation
because there are different options. Engineers must compare their
specific application requirements with a module’s electrical and ther-
mal performance, physical dimensions, and reliability specifications
available from traditional and emerging, higher power density options
with optimal thermal resistivity.
Fully Encapsulated Modules
The newest form of module is the fully encapsulated DC/DC POL dig-
ital power module supply, which delivers the ultimate combination of
advantages provided by a digital power solution via the PMBus and
encapsulated module packaging. Enabled by the internal digital con-
troller, the PMBus can be used to configure a wide variety of parame-
ters to adapt to specific application needs. Various parameters can
be monitored and stored in on board nonvolatile memory, and as with
most advanced modules now, almost all discrete components are
integrated. Advantages can include reduced time-to-market, mini-
mized BOM on the PCB, and increased long-term reliability. Fully
encapsulated packaging provides large thermal pads on the bottom
of the package for enhanced thermal capability and exposed leads
around the edge of the package for ideal solder joint inspectability.
With the ability to run off 3.3V, 5V, 12V bias rails and output a voltage
from 0.54 to 4V, with a single resistor setting, and up to 12A of output
current, a fully encapsulated digital module is versatile enough to
meet a fairly wide range of application requirements.
One of the major advantages of an encapsulated digital power mod-
ule is superior power density enabled by improved package thermal
performance. Power density and thermal resistivity of the package go
hand-in-hand, especially when considering a high power solution,
defined as greater than 25W. There has been a race to improve
density/integration for decades in the semiconductor industry. The
bottom line reason is systems are growing in functionality (which
requires more components and are being reduced in size to stay
competitive. So component/solution size is a key part of this trend,
which means the customer can fit more content or a higher/larger
power processor, for example, on a PCB. One example is the serv-
er application or automated test equipment (ATE).
The lower the thermal resistivity, the higher the possible power densi-
ty — some encapsulated module solutions struggle to meet higher
power levels due to their package thermal resistivity. Also, the more
thermally efficient the solution is, the less a user needs to be con-
cerned with or design around the solution constraints, such as ensur-
ing there is a specific amount of air flow, or adding a heat sink.
D C / D C C O N V E R T E R
24 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
Benefits of Digital Power Modulesfor Advanced Industrial and
Communications ApplicationsEncapsulated modules in some cases
can have four times higher power density
After a long period of development and design, the DC/DC power supply module is coming into its own as an effective and efficient solution for a wide range of
communications and industrial applications can finally take advantage of the benefits of non-isolated DC/DC power supply modules, There are several immediate advantages
to notice about the DC/DC power module.
By Josh Broline, Intersil
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Optimal thermal performance is enabled by the enhanced encapsu-
lated QFN package with the large pads on the bottom of the package
and the thermally enhanced package overmold material that acts as
a heat spreader.
Very low package thermal resistivity can be demonstrated by a pack-
age theta junction-to-ambient of 11.5C/W and bottom of the package
theta junction-to-case of 2.2C/W. As a result, a higher power solution
can be designed in a smaller form factor. Because the theta JC on
the backside of the package is so low, the majority of the heat is dis-
sipated through the bottom of the package. In contrast to an open
framed module, no air flow is required to run at full load over the
industrial ambient temperature range in most operating conditions.
The thermal capability of a module package has a major influence in
achieving a higher power density than more traditional open-framed
modules or discrete power solutions, and makes the encapsulated
module a solid choice to replace either.
Encapsulated module solutions tend to have higher reliability and
manufacturability. For example, since all the components are fully
encapsulated, there is better electrical isolation from the outside
world, less solder joints that can go bad over time, lower chance of
stresses in a given application causing package cracks, and
improved manufacturability since the encapsulated package is more
conducive to traditional pick-and-place equipment versus a non-pla-
nar open framed solutions.
In addition to the encapsulated package, another advantage of this
kind of module comes in the ability to configure and monitor digital
power management using the PMBus and I2C interface. The best
way to achieve these benefits is through a simple graphical user
interface that lets designers adjust various operating parameters
such as soft start ramp time, output voltage margining, voltage track-
ing and power-good threshold. No external circuitry is required using
this method, and it is designed to be flexible enough to meet current
and future design requirements.
Various parameters can be monitored during the system develop-
ment stage and after the system is deployed out to the field. For
example, the output conditions, voltage and current, can be moni-
tored and stored in the internal nonvolatile memory with a date stamp
on a regular bases and read back externally as needed. This
enhances system design by speeding up debugging time and
increases long-term system reliability by insuring normal operation at
all times or enhancing failure analysis if a system is returned. Once
a configuration is finalized for a specific application, the config file is
produced by using the configuration program.
Significant Advances in Power Density
As an example of the newest DC/DC encapsulated power module,
the ZL9101MIRZ from Intersil offers a very unique combination of
next generation package technology and easy to use digital power
management that will simplify potential sophisticated POL power sup-
ply design due to minimal external components, improve reliability
over traditional open framed modules or discrete solutions, and
improve design cycle time or time to market. It applies a system
called PowerNavigator with the PMBus and a GUI to simplify and
optimize configuration and monitoring.
Encapsulated modules in some cases can have four times higher
power density. For example, comparing the Intersil ZL9101MIRZ to
an equivalent open framed module on the market, the ZL9101M has
a power density of 38W/cm3 versus 8.6W/cm3, over three times
higher than this equivalent open framed module at the equivalent
output power level of 30W. There is also a significant difference in
the x and y footprint of the two solutions, 2.2cm2 versus 3cm2, a 30
percent difference, which is critical when board space is at a mini-
mum.
Encapsulated digital power module technology offers an advanta-
geous combination of next- generation package technology and easi-
ly implemented digital power management that will simplify POL
power supply design with minimal external components, improved
reliability over traditional open framed modules or discrete solutions,
and enhanced design cycle time. DC/DC non-isolated power mod-
ules offer a complete range of current and voltages in rugged, stan-
dard packaging at a reasonable cost. They are an excellent design
option now for the next generation of communications systems and
industrial products.
www.intersil.com/powermodules
25www.bodospower.com June 2011 Bodo´s Power Systems®
Figure 1: Benefits of the Heat Spreading Effect in Encapsulated Module
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26 Bodo´s Power Systems® June 2011 www.bodospower.com
Joining the eGaN FETs product family intro-
duced in 2010, EPC launched a second gen-
eration product family in March, 2011 [5].
These new products are lead-free, halogen
free, and are RoHS compliant. EPC’s risk-
reduction results to date include the place-
ment of over 1400 devices, at their maxi-
mum operating ratings in a wide variety of
stress tests. Over 1,300,000 accumulated
device hours of reliability testing validate the
readiness of eGaN FETs to supplant their
aging silicon cousins for most commercial
power switching applications.
Reliability Test Overview
EPC’s eGaN FETs were subjected to a wide
variety of stress tests under conditions that
are typical for power MOSFETs. These tests
included:
• High temperature reverse bias (HTRB):
Parts are subjected to a drain-source volt-
age equal to or near the maximum rated
voltage at the maximum rated temperature
• High temperature gate bias (HTGB): Parts
are subjected to gate-source voltages at
the maximum rated temperature
• Operating Life: Parts are assembled onto
power supply boards and the boards are
subjected to actual switching power con-
version operating conditions
• High temperature high humidity (H3TRB):
Parts are subjected to humidity under high
temperature with a drain-source voltage
applied
• Temperature cycling (TC): Parts are sub-
jected to alternating high- and low temper-
ature extremes
• Unbiased autoclave (AC or Pressure
Cooker Test): Parts are subjected to pres-
sure, humidity, and temperature under
condensing conditions
• Moisture sensitivity level test: Parts are
subjected to moisture, temperature, and
three cycles of reflow
Reliability Test Results
Table 1 is a summary of the testing results
for the first-generation eGaN FETs, and
Table 2 is a summary of the results for the
second-generation of the FETs. Over 1.3 mil-
lion hours of testing have been accrued
through the combination of the two genera-
tions of devi