STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company supporting a wide range of electronic applications and customers, has enhanced the speed, flexibility, and integration of industrial and home automation through the launch of a single-chip GaN gate driver.

ST announced on the 2nd that it has released the STDRIVEG600 half-bridge gate driver, which features high current output and a propagation delay of 45ns.

This device has closely matched outputs between the high-side and low-side and can handle high-frequency switching of GaN enhancement-mode FETs.

STDRIVEG600 is also suitable for driving N-channel silicon MOSFETs at up to 20V, so it can flexibly apply a gate-source voltage of up to 6V to GaN devices to ensure low Rds(on).

In addition, it features an integrated bootstrap circuit to help minimize the Bill of Materials and simplify the board layout.

This circuit uses a synchronous MOSFET to allow the bootstrap voltage to reach the logic supply voltage, VCC, thereby enabling the driver to operate from a single power supply without using a Low-Dropout Regulator (LDO).

The STDRIVEG600, with a dV/dt immunity of ±200V/ns, is It ensures reliable gate control even under demanding electrical conditions.

The logic input is compatible with CMOS/TTL up to 3.3V, supporting easy interfacing with a host microcontroller or DSP.

The high-side area can withstand up to 600V, so it can be used in applications with high-voltage buses up to 500V.

The output has 5.5A/6A sink/source functions and provides separate turn-on and turn-off pins, allowing the designer to select the optimal method for gate control.

In addition, both the high-side and low-side circuits support Kelvin connections to the power switch source, enhancing control capabilities.

Dedicated ground and supply voltage connections for the low-side driver ensure stable switching with Kelvin connections, and the shunt resistor can be used for current sensing without additional isolation or input filtering.

As an integrated safety feature, it is equipped with Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO) in both the lower and upper operating zones to prevent the power switch from operating in low-efficiency or dangerous situations.

Dedicated pins are also provided for an interlocking function that prevents cross-conduction and protects against overheating, as well as for a shutdown function.

The STDRIVEG600 is suitable for applications such as high-voltage PFC, DC/DC and DC/AC converters, switching mode power supplies, UPS systems, solar power generators, motor drivers for home appliances, factory automation, and industrial drives.

Two types of development boards are also supported to enable the rapid start of new projects.

The EVSTDRIVEG600DG is a 150mΩ, 650V GaN HE based on a 5mm x 6mm PowerFLAT package with a Kelvin source.MT is included.

The EVSTDRIVEG600DM is also available with an STL33N60DM2 MDmesh 115mΩ 600V silicon power MOSFET, along with a high-speed recovery diode based on an 8mm x 8mm PowerFLAT or DPAK package with a Kelvin source.

The STDRIVEG600 is currently in production and is available as a 16-pin SO16 device. The price is $1.07 for a purchase of 1,000 units.