New driver offers tailored turn-on and turn-off timing, minimized switching losses, and enhanced dV/dt immunity


CHICAGO, May 7, 2024 -- Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFUS), an industrial technology manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world, is excited to announce the launch of the IX4352NE Low-side SiC MOSFET and IGBT Gate Driver. This innovative driver is specifically designed to drive Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and high-power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in industrial applications.

The key differentiator of the IX4352NE lies in its separate 9 A source and sink outputs, which enable tailored turn-on and turn-off timing while minimizing switching losses. An internal negative charge regulator also provides a user-selectable negative gate drive bias for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. With an operating voltage range (VDD - VSS) of up to 35 V, this driver offers exceptional flexibility and performance.

One of the standout features of the IX4352NE is its internal negative charge pump regulator, which eliminates the need for an external auxiliary power supply or DC/DC converter. This feature is particularly valuable for turning off SiC MOSFETs, saving valuable space typically required for external logic level translator circuitry. The logic input's compatibility with standard TTL or CMOS logic levels further enhances space-saving capabilities.

The IX4352NE is ideally suited for driving SiC MOSFETs in various industrial applications such as:

● on-board and off-board chargers,
● Power Factor Correction (PFC),
● DC/DC converters,
● motor controllers, and
● industrial power inverters.

It's superior performance makes it ideal for demanding power electronics applications in the electric vehicle, industrial, alternate energy, smart home, and building automation markets.

With its comprehensive features, the IX4352NE simplifies circuit design and offers a higher level of integration. Built-in protection features such as desaturation detection (DESAT) with soft shutdown sink driver, Under Voltage Lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown (TSD) ensure the protection of the power device and the gate driver. The integrated open-drain FAULT output signals a fault condition to the microcontroller, enhancing safety and reliability. Furthermore, the IX4352NE saves valuable PCB space and increases circuit density, contributing to overall system efficiency.

Notable improvements over the existing IX4351NE include:

● A safe DESAT-initiated soft turn-off.
● A thermal shutdown with high threshold accuracy.
● The charge pump's ability to operate during thermal shutdown.

The new IX4352NE is pin-compatible, allowing for a seamless drop-in replacement in designs that specify the existing Littelfuse IX4351NE, which was released in 2020.

“The IX4352NE extends our broad range of low-side gate drivers with a new 9 A sink/source driver, simplifying the gate drive circuitry needed for SiC MOSFETs," commented June Zhang, Product Manager, Integrated Circuits Division (SBU) at Littelfuse. "Its various built-in protection features and integrated charge pump provide an adjustable negative gate drive voltage for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. As a result, it can be used to drive any SiC MOSFET or power IGBT, whether it is a Littelfuse device or any other similar component available on the market.”

Availability

The IX4352NE Low-side SiC MOSFET and IGBT Gate Driver are available in tube format in 50 per tube or tape and reel format in quantities of 2,000. Place sample requests through authorized Littelfuse distributors worldwide. For a listing of Littelfuse distributors, please visit Littelfuse.com.

For More Information

Additional information on the latest series release is available on the IX4352NE Low-side SiC MOSFET and IGBT Gate Driver product page. For technical questions, please contact one of the following in the Littelfuse Integrated Circuits Division (SBU):

Hugo Guzman, Product Marketing Manager, HGuzman@Littelfuse.com Klaus Wiedorn, Sr. Technical Marketing Analyst, KWiedorn@Littelfuse.com

About Littelfuse

Littelfuse is a diversified, industrial technology manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world. Across more than 20 countries, and with approximately 17,000 global associates, we partner with customers to design and deliver innovative, reliable solutions. Serving over 100,000 end customers, our products are found in a variety of industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets—everywhere, every day. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Littelfuse was founded in 1927. Learn more at Littelfuse.com.