Raytheon UK’s Integrated Power Solutions business unit in Glenrothes has developed a high temperature, small form factor bridge leg power module aimed at high speed switching applications. According to the company, the module has potential application in the aerospace sector, as it requires minimal external cooling and presents weight saving opportunities within the More Electric Aircraft power system. It can also be used in the geothermal power and oil and gas sectors.
During tests, the module – which includes two 1200V silicon carbide bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) – switched 500V at room temperature and 200V at 300°C.
“Co-location of BJT base driver circuitry and power transistors into a single high temperature module is a major industry breakthrough,” said David Gordon, technical lead with Raytheon’s IPS. “For example, in many instances, it is necessary to switch power stage transistors at tens of kHz and that requires getting the base driver circuitry as close as possible to the power transistors. However, in a high temperature environment that presents a problem. Raytheon’s HiTSiC CMOS circuitry on the other hand was designed to operate at 300°C and has been tested at considerably higher temperatures.”
The module is packaged in a 32pin hermetic dual in line ceramic package measuring 40 x 23mm.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk