June 25, 2014, Seoul – Infineon Technologies (Korea CEO Lee Seung-su) has expanded its comprehensive SiC portfolio by launching the 5th generation 1200V thinQ!™ SiC Schottky diode. The newly released 1200V SiC diode features an extremely low forward voltage characteristic even at operating temperature, surge current performance improved by more than 100%, and excellent thermal characteristics. These features significantly enhance efficiency and enable robust operation in photovoltaic inverters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), three-phase SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supplies), and motor drives.

The "5th generation" SiC diode employs a new ultra-compact chip design implemented through a pn junction integrated structure in the Schottky cell field. This ultra-compact chip design reduces differential resistance per chip area. As a result, for example, in the front-end boost stage of a three-phase photovoltaic inverter operating at 20kHz under maximum load conditions, diode losses can be reduced by up to 30% compared to the previous generation.

At a junction temperature of 150°C, the typical forward voltage is only 1.7V, which is 30% lower than the previous generation. This represents the lowest forward voltage in the industry for 1200V SiC diodes. Therefore, the new SiC diode is particularly suitable for applications operating at relatively high loads, such as UPS systems. Additionally, system efficiency is improved even at low switching frequencies.

Surge current performance with a maximum rating of up to 14 times the rated amperage depending on the diode ampere rating ensures robust diode operation when application surge currents occur. This eliminates the need for bypass diodes, reducing complexity and system cost.

Roland Stele, Marketing Director of IGBT Power Discrete at Infineon Technologies, stated, "The newly released 5th generation SiC diode enables customers to design for maximum efficiency. With low diode losses and improved surge current performance, reliability is enhanced and a wide range of switching frequencies can be supported," and added, "The latest generation Infineon SiC Schottky diode represents a major advancement in realizing the full potential of the promising SiC material."

The new 1200V thinQ! SiC Schottky diode, when implemented with Infineon's 1200V Highspeed3 IGBT in boost and PFC (Power Factor Correction) boost topologies, offers many advantages at the system level. Compared to solutions using conventional Si diodes, not only can diode losses be reduced, but reduced turn-on losses allow for smaller heatsink sizes or improved performance, and lower EMI enables the use of smaller and more cost-effective EMI filters, all contributing to enhanced Highspeed3 IGBT performance.