Gate Resistor Design Guidelines for SupreMOS® MOSFETs
Summary
The faster switching of power MOSFETs enables higher
power conversion efficiency. However, parasitic
components in the devices and boards are involving
switching characteristics more as the switching speed
increases. This creates unwanted side effects, like voltage
spikes or poor EMI performance. To achieve balance, it is
important to have optimized gate drive circuitry because a
power MOSFET is a gate-controlled device. One of critical
control parameters in gate-drive design is external series
gate resistor (R
maximum values of R
hard-switching applications. As too small R
). This note suggests minimum and
g
for the SupreMOS® MOSFETs in
g
results in
g
excessive dv/dt across drain and source of the MOSFET
during switching-off, low limit is a value that makes
switching dv/dt within the specification in the datasheets.
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diode, Deuxpeed
rectifier,and STEALTH™2 diodes are used for clamp diode
since the diode characteristics affect the dv/dt. Too large R
causes loss and poor efficiency; therefore, the upper limit is
chosen to have the same switching losses as the SuperFET
MOSFETs or competitors.
Minimum Values According to dv/dt
Table 1 shows low limits of Rg. The unit of Rg in Table 1 is
Ohm (). Since the dv/dt varies by drain current level, it is
tested with two conditions. For example, when using
FCP76N60N with a SiC diode under half of rated current, at
least 13 or larger R
dv/dt under 50V/ns during switching-off transient.
The dv/dt with a SiC diode is lower than dv/dt with other
diodes due to the bigger junction capacitance of SiC SBD.
A gap of the dv/dt values is getting larger at lower drain
current level and smaller R
current, the dv/dt is relatively low and the effect of output
capacitance of the MOSFET and diode junction capacitance
on the dv/dt becomes more significant.
If a specific R
value is needed for other dv/dt not shown in
g
Table 1, it can be selected by referring to Figure 13 through
Figure 18.
When the SuperFET® MOSFET or other previousgeneration power MOSFET is directly replaced with the
SupreMOS MOSFET, switching losses are reduced, but the
dv/dt may be higher. To control the dv/dt of SupreMOS
MOSFETs, increased R
should be a limit line for increasing the R
losses with SupreMOS MOSFET could be larger. Figure 19
through Figure 54 show switching losses acco rd ing to R
each device. R
for similar or less switching loss can be
g
raised. For example, if 10 is used for a FCA35N60
SuperFET MOSFET, 33 achieves similar E
under conditions of half of rated drain current and
STEALTH™2 diode.
FCP22N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
165mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP22N60N with SiC SBD
165mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
80
60
Eoff[uJ]
1/2 of Id
40
20
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 37. FCP22N60N E
vs. Competitor at Half I
OFF
1/2 of Id
120
100
Eon[uJ]
FCP16N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP20N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
199mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP16N60N with SiC SBD
FCP20N60 with SiC SBD
199mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
80
60
40
20
360
320
280
240
200
Eoff[uJ]
160
120
FCP22N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
165mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP22N60N with SiC SBD
165mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
80
40
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Id
D
Figure 38.FCP22N60N E
vs. Competitor at Rated I
OFF
D
Id
280
240
200
160
Eon[uJ]
120
FCP16N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP20N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
199mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP16N60N with SiC SBD
FCP20N60 with SiC SBD
199mOhm competitor with SiCSBD
80
40
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 39. FCP16N60N E
vs. FCP20N60
ON
and Competitor at Half I
160
140
120
100
Eoff[uJ]
FCP16N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP20N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
199mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP16N60N with SiC SBD
FCP20N60 with SiC SBD
199mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
80
60
40
20
0
0 10203040506070
Figure 41. FCP16N60N E
1/2 of Id
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
vs. FCP20N60
OFF
and Competitor at Half I
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 40.FCP16N60N E
D
and Competitor at Rated I
vs. FC P20N6 0
ON
D
Id
360
320
280
240
200
160
Eoff[uJ]
120
FCP16N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP20N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
199mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP16N60N with SiC SBD
FCP20N60 with SiC SBD
199mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
FCP11N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
299mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60N with SiC SBD
299mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
5
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
1/2 of Id
Figure 49. FCP11N60N E
vs. Competitor at Half I
OFF
1/2 of Id
70
FCP9N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
60
385mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP9N60N with SiC SBD
FCP11N60 with SiC SBD
50
385mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
40
30
Eon[uJ]
20
100
Eoff[uJ]
FCP11N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
299mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60N with SiC SBD
80
299mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
60
40
20
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Id
D
Figure 50.FCP11N60N E
vs. Competitor at Rated I
OFF
D
Id
120
100
Eon[uJ]
FCP9N60N withSTEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
385mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP9N60N with SiC SBD
FCP11N60 with SiC SBD
385mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
80
60
40
10
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 51. FCP9N60N E
and Competitor at Half I
vs. FCP11N60
ON
D
1/2 of Id
50
FCP9N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
385mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
40
FCP9N60N with SiC SBD
FCP11N60 with SiC SBD
385mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
30
Eoff[uJ]
20
10
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 53. FCP9N60N E
and Competitor at Half I
vs. FCP11N60
OFF
D
20
0
0 10203040506070
Rg, Gate Resistor [Ohm]
Figure 52.FCP9N60N E
and Competitor at Rated I
vs. FC P11N60
ON
D
Id
120
100
Eoff[uJ]
FCP9N60N with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP11N60 with STEALTHTM2 diode
385mOhm competitor with STEALTHTM2 diode
FCP9N60N with SiC SBD
FCP11N60 with SiC SBD
385mOhm competitor with SiC SBD
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