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New Internaitonal Rectifier IGBTs Ideal for Coil-On-Plug Engine Ignition Applications
EL SEGUNDO, CA. June 1999 - International Rectifier (IR®) today announced that it is now producing IGBTs targeted specifically for the newer
"coil-on-plug" automotive ignition applications. The new 14A
IRGS14C40L is more cost-effective in the latest ignition architectures that
pair an IGBT with individual coils on each spark plug.
IR developed their clamped-IGBT technology as a service to their key automotive customers, who were searching for more
reliable sourcing of this critical component. "Other suppliers of the zener-clamped ignition IGBT have recently begun to refocus away
from the automotive market, causing some concern with the more forward-looking procurers," states Gabe Gotthard, vice president of
marketing for the switch group at IR. "The automotive market has been and will continue to be a primary focus for International Rectifier,
and this new product fits well with our strong IGBT capabilities."
IR is sampling devices now, and will be production qualified in July. They already have volume commitments with one of the
world's largest automotive systems suppliers, with shipments scheduled to begin in September of this year.
IR's new ignition IGBTs essentially provide a second source to other "zener-clamped" ignition IGBTs that have been offered in the
market for a few years. They are used as a switch that precisely controls the voltage at which the primary side of the ignition coil
"breaks," resulting in a more precisely controlled secondary voltage for the spark plug. Critical electrical characteristics of these devices include:
Ececl (repetitive clamp energy rating), the amount of energy that the device can absorb per clamp event (150 mJ for the new
IRGS14C40L)
Tsc (short-circuit withstand time), which is an indication of the overall ruggedness of these types of devices (750µs min at 150°C for
the IRGS14C40L)
Vclamp (clamp voltage, both gate-to-drain, as well as gate-to-emitter), which is required to provide the controlled breakdown
voltage and to provide protection for the gate (this is 400V for the IRGS14C40L)
Logic-level gate threshold, allowing the device to be driven directly by a 5V logic source or microcontroller chip
Rg(int) (internal gate resistance), where customer requirements for this value vary dependent on the specific design
IR claims that its new IGBTs meet or exceed the capabilities of the existing devices in the market on all of the above. Equally
important to automotive customers, however, are the more commercial component concerns which IR addresses:
Ability to supply in high volumes reliably
100% electrical testing of the device parameters
Qualification to automotive "Q101" reliability specifications
Willingness and ability to customize clamp voltages and other electrical characteristics to suit particular applications
IR is careful to note that they can customize device parameters for specific customer applications. "Different designers have different
needs, depending on their particular circuit. IR is willing to accommodate those differing needs, assuming the business level justifies
it," says Gotthard. "We could turn out a semi-custom part for a specific application within about 3 months. We have been setting up
application and service relationships with each customer in order to ensure we understand their specific needs so that we get it right
the first time."
For more information:
Contact the Technical Assistance Center or
your local Sales Rep.
For other related information visit the IGBT or Automotive web-sites.
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