Delivering tighter threshold voltage

Louise Davis

Toshiba Electronics Europe has launched a new 100V, 160A power MOSFET that delivers a tighter threshold voltage (Vth) specification than previous devices.

A tighter threshold voltage specification is very important in switching applications and the TK160F10N1L offers min/max Vth of 2.5V/3.5V versus its predecessor’s 2V/4V range.

The new MOSFET is ideal for automotive power switching applications. In these designs its tighter Vth specification could contribute to a dead time reduction in half-/H-/B6-bridge schemes. This is because the max Vth difference between low-side MOSFET and high-side MOSFET is smaller.

In applications where MOSFETs are connected in parallel, a tighter Vth spec leads to improved synchronous switching among paralleled MOSFETs.

As a result, the switching loss will be distributed more evenly among the MOSFETs. If a single MOSFET turns on earlier or turns off later than other MOSFETs in parallel, the switching loss concentrates on this single MOSFET.

Toshiba’s latest UMOS VIII-H semiconductor process has been used in the TK160F10N1L. U-MOS VIII-H has an excellent switching ripple suppression capability and can contribute to EMI noise reduction. Target applications for the new MOSFET include automotive motors in 48V systems, DC-DC converters and load switches.

The TK160F10N1L is supplied in a TO-220SM(W) package, has a maximum on-resistance (RDS(ON)) rating of 2.4mΩ and will conform with AEC-Q101 automotive level qualification requirements.