Massive IGBT

[Rigby]

Recently I was at an electronics conference that my company holds internally and I saw an insanely large IGBT, so I took some pictures.

I found them fascinating, so maybe you folks will, too.

Check out the stats: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Infineon-Technologies/FF600R12ME4/?qs=lxTgnyf4o0dKsRuYxW8wOQ%3D%3D 

1200V @ 995A (!)

[T3sl4co1l]

Neato, coppery.  Though I wonder what they do about intermetallics with those aluminum bond wires.

That's hardly insane; I've heard of >2400V, 3kA parts.  So slow they're pretty much only useful for motor drive and low frequency induction heating (of course, most induction heaters that size aren't above a kHz, so that's fine).  SCR pucks get even bigger.

Tim

[Alex Eisenhut]

Recently I was at an electronics conference that my company holds internally and I saw an insanely large IGBT, so I took some pictures.

I found them fascinating, so maybe you folks will, too.

Check out the stats: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Infineon-Technologies/FF600R12ME4/?qs=lxTgnyf4o0dKsRuYxW8wOQ%3D%3D 

1200V @ 995A (!)

Ah, looks like the gate driver for these

http://www.powerguru.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/10kV-IGCT-module-using-the-HPT.jpg

http://new.abb.com/semiconductors/integrated-gate-commutated-thyristors-%28igct%29/asymmetric

[rx8pilot]

I have seen those in the vector drive on my milling machines. It runs at 400V and drives a big spindle. It really dumps the current in while accelerating. There is a LOT of mass that needs to go from 0-15,000 RPM in a short period of time. Big and dangerous world those things live in.

I had to replace a few components on the controller.

[owiecc]

Neato, coppery.  Though I wonder what they do about intermetallics with those aluminum bond wires.

They coat Si transistors with Al to make the surface bondable with Al wires. While bonding wires are welded with the chip surface to form a reliable joint. The technology to bond with copper is not yet matured but is in development right now: http://siliconpower.danfoss.com/themes/Danfoss-Bond-Buffer/

[SeanB]

Biggest I have seen are bipolar transistors that were used in UPS units. Either you had a dual darlington device in a bolt down package rated at 200V and capable of 150A, or you used 30 2N3773 transistors on 2 large extruded heatsink sections. The 30 transistors were a lot cheaper than the dual darlington, which at the time were close to $1000 each. Symptoms of **any** fault on the driver PCB were blown 100A fuses and smoked silicon.

[MK]

Those large devices tend to provide good fuse protection...

[T3sl4co1l]

Ah yes, I've seen a VFD like that before, the BJT module was a triple-darlington type.  Arguably a step up from the crusty old SCR units (which require commutation circuitry -- more parts, and huge snubber chokes!), but nothing like the ease of IGBTs.

Tim

[Artlav]

SCRs?
I used to have one, scored from an "all for $1" box of someone clueless.
Rated for 1200V, 765A.
Quite a beast.



Used it as a switch for a spot welder.
A charmingly straightforward one.


Which, never the less, lets you make some money trees and such.


You might, however, notice the SCR now have a cross on it.
That is because one day it had enough, and decided not to close after one pulse.
No smoke, no drama.
Just a quiet death.

So, these beasts are not indestructible, even if they might look like it.
Or maybe there was a good reason why it was in that box...

[T3sl4co1l]

As far as I know, they're intended to be operated under heavy clamping pressure -- wouldn't be surprised if it opened up because the contacts delaminated or something.

Tim

[aargee]

I have two of these, one's a paper-weight.

[NiHaoMike]

Here's what Toyota uses:
http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/ginv/i2compon.html

Tesla decided to opt for a huge array of (well matched) IGBTs instead.

[Dago]

As far as I know, they're intended to be operated under heavy clamping pressure -- wouldn't be surprised if it opened up because the contacts delaminated or something.

Tim

Yup. Operating without clamping pressure (which is usually a LOT, like 5kN or something mad like that). Operating without adequate clamping pressure (like the the poster above did) WILL result in premature failure at very low currents due to hotspots in the die because the contacts have poor contact to the die.

[calexanian]

As said above these are used quite a bit in welding. They have bulk high voltage capacitors and dump them into a step down transformer and and create welds of tens of thousands of amps for plate steel for things like escalators, barges, etc.