MOSFET Package Technology Enhances Performance Of Motor Drives

Focus:

Many motor-drive applications continue to use power MOSFETs in traditional wire-bonded packaging. One reason for doing so has been the low-frequency operation of motor drives-typically 20 kHz or less. At these frequencies, the effect of the parasitic inductance introduced by the package leads and wire bonds may not be significant. However, they still add resistance to the package and are typically enclosed with mold compound, which is a poor conductor of heat. Today, newer packaging technologies enable lower power losses and better heat transfer, permitting higher power density. In this article, an experimental evaluation of DirectFETs in an inverter power stage is presented to demonstrate how this packaging technology can increase power density for high-current motor drives. The thermal performance of the DirectFET power switches is measured with single-sided cooling (heatsink on one side of PCB) and dual-side cooling (heatsinks on both sides of PCBs).

What you’ll learn:

• How to understand the benefits of advanced MOSFET packages in motor drives

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Author & Publication:

Shishir Rai, International Rectifier, El Segundo, Calif., How2Power Today, May 27 2011

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