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How Eliminating Flying Lead IGBT Driver Interconnect Improves Performance and Reliability
1. How Eliminating Flying Lead IGBT Driver
Interconnect
Improves Performance and Reliability
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2. Renewable Energy Trends
• Solar/PV installations to reach 24 GW, up from 19
GW in 2010. (IMS Research)
• Wind power installations will increase from 236 GW
in 2011 to 563 GW in 2017. (Pike Research, 2011)
• 5 million cars manufactured in 2016 will be full
HEV, plug-in HEV or EV. (Yole Développement, 2011)
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3. Renewable Energy Applications Have Increased
Performance Requirements For IGBTs
• Decreased $/Watt
• Higher current and voltage requirements
• Faster switching speeds
• Increased heat sensitivity
• Higher efficiencies
• Reducing switching
losses
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4. “Tuning” Drivers To IGBTs Help Address These
Requirements
• IGBT Driver requirements will vary across IGBT
manufacturers and within their product line.
• Optimizing driver design includes adjusting:
– Gate resistor values
– Desat requirements
– Cross over timing
– Soft turn off and/or Active HV Clamping
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5. Increasing Fault Detection Further Enables Safe
And Secure Operation
• Increased requirements to continuously monitor the
performance and functionality of the driver and
overall system
• IGBT driver designs should account for monitoring
the following fault scenarios and conditions:
– Separate Hi/Lo fault signals
– Desat timing and levels
– UVLO
– IGBT temperature
– Ambient temperature
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6. Plug And Play Improves Manufacturability
• A much more efficient mechanical footprint
• Integrating the IGBT module and driver into a
single subassembly
– Dramatic increase in producibility and
serviceability
• Combined offering allows a more compact and
robust design
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7. Direct Connection To The IGBT Lowers
Inductance And Improves Overall Performance
Measurable benefits include:
– Higher frequency operation
– Faster driver transitions
– Reduced Heat
– Improved lifetime reliability
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8. Plug and Play vs. Flying Lead: Direct
Gate Drive with 1.8 Ohm Resistor - Direct Connection; 1700V/1000A Fuji PrimePack
Note: 1.0 usec turn on after rising edge
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9. Plug and Play vs. Flying Lead: Flying Lead
Gate Drive with 1.8 Ohm Resistor - 6 inch lead; 1700V/1000A Fuji PrimePACK
Note: 1.1 usec turn on after rising edge
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10. Plug and Play vs. Flying Lead: Direct
Gate Drive with 1.8 Ohm Resistor - Direct Connection; 1700V/1000A Fuji PrimePack
Note: IGBT turns off 4.15 us after the falling edge.
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11. Plug and Play vs. Flying Lead: Flying Lead
Gate Drive with 1.8 Ohm Resistor - 6 inch lead; 1700V/1000A Fuji PrimePACK
Note: IGBT turns off 4.3 us after the falling edge.
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12. Lead Length Correlation to Gate Resistors
The previous slides indicate that flying leads have a
real effect on the switching speed of the IGBT.
This slowing is the equivalent of increasing the Gate
Resistor from 1.8 Ohms to 3.0 Ohms in a direct
connect system using the same gate driver.
How does this affect performance?
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13. Power Dissipation of the IGBT: Direct Connection
Note: Tj ave is 107.7 C . Inverter loss is 184W and 304W ON/OFF.
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14. Power Dissipation of the IGBT: Flying Lead
Note Tj ave is 113.4 C. (+6C) Inverter loss is 277W (+93W) and 322W (+18W) ON/OFF
(111W total).
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15. Direct Connect = Increased Efficiency
This indicates that there is additional wattage lost in
the slower turn on/off times and reflected in higher
junction temperature.
This translates to better performance with
improved Long Term Life and Reliability.
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16. Future: Increasing Fault Detection Further
Enables Safe And Secure Operation
• Increased monitoring of the performance and
functionality of the driver and IGBT can lead to
better reliability.
• Next generation IGBT driver designs should account
for monitoring the following fault scenarios and
conditions:
– Separate Hi/Lo fault signals
– Desat timing and levels
– UVLO
– High Voltage monitoring
– IGBT temperature
– Ambient temperature
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17. Designing for Plug And Play is Challenging,
But Worth It
• The electrical performance and isolation
requirements for a gate driver are the same for a
plug and play design and a flying lead design.
• However, Plug and play design is more
demanding since the ambient temperature of the
Driver may be higher due to the close proximity
to the IGBT.
• And, additional mechanical requirements and a
smaller PCB footprint can make it longer to
design and more costly to manufacture.
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18. How to Reach Us
Rob Weber
Albert Charpentier
1650 Arch Street
Suite 1905
Philadelphia, PA 19103
info@AgileSwitch.com
484-483-3256
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