MOSFETs moving away from mature silicon technology

by Vianie Li & Cecile de Veyra

As production of SiC MOSFETs increases, the price gap with traditional silicon-based types is narrowing and boosting market uptake. Omdia predicts the former will accelerate from 2021 and take the lead in sales of discrete SiC power devices, while their GaN counterparts are not far behind. In the overall power semiconductor category, components based on SiC and GaN technologies will breach $1 billion by the end of 2021, according to Omdia.

Yole Développment, meanwhile, notes that MOSFETs in general are rebounding significantly in 2021, and attributes the recovery from 2020 to computing and consumer electronics applications. In coming years, Yole says this momentum will get an additional push from the automotive industry, particularly the electric vehicle segment.

In view of such a market opportunity, Chinese companies have been investing in R&D to complement their silicon-based selections with super-silicon, SiC and GaN variants, and achieve higher frequency and output power and lower power dissipation. Super-silicon MOSFETs introduced by Suzhou Oriental Semiconductor have switching frequency above 1MHz and maximum power density up to 1.38W/cubic cm. These specifications are said to be almost comparable to GaN transistors but at only 25 to 50 percent of the latter's size.

Widely available MOSFETs in the Chinese mainland come in through-hole packages such as DIP, TO and PGA while SOT, SOP, QFP, DPAK and PLCC make up the lineup in the SMD subcategory. The bulk of these devices are currently in the entry-level and midrange markets.

Manufacturers mainly use wafers sourced from Japan, the US, Germany and the Taiwan region, while some turn to domestically made ones as low-cost options. Outlay for components and materials will rise further in 2022, likely by less than 10 percent.

TO-251 package

In a TO-251 package for through-hole mounting, this 02N65 model from Dongguan Lechen Electronics Co. Ltd is an N-channel MOSFET rated at 650V, 2A. It has low RDS(on), capacitance and total gate charge, and tight VSD specification.

The 10-unit minimum order is delivered within two days.

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TO-220 package

From Dongguan Lechen Electronics Co. Ltd, this IRF840 N-channel MOSFET comes in a TO-220 package for through-hole mounting. It has a rated voltage and current of 500V and 8A, low RDS(on), capacitance and total gate charge, and tight VSD specification.

The minimum order is 10 units. Lead time is two days.

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SOT-23 package

An N-channel MOSFET in an SOT-23 package, Dongguan Lechen Electronics Co. Ltd's model 2n7002K has 60V and 0.3A rated voltage and current. It has low RDS(on), capacitance and total gate charge, and tight VSD specification.

An order of at least 10 units has a two-day lead time.

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60V, 50A, for DC-DC converters

Designed to improve the overall efficiency of DC-DC converters, Yangzhou Positioning Tech Co. Ltd's N-channel power MOSFET, the IRF50N06, has low RDS(on) and gate charge, and fast switching speed. Its voltage and current ratings are 60V and 50A.

A minimum order of 1,000 units has a 15-day lead time.

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30V voltage rating

Suitable for use in PWM, load-switching and general-purpose applications, Yangzhou Positioning Tech Co. Ltd's YZPST-80N03 MOSFET uses advanced trench technology. It has 30V voltage rating, and enhanced RDS(on) with low gate charge.

The minimum order is 1,000 units for delivery within 20 days.

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N-channel logic enhancement mode

Yangzhou Positioning Tech Co. Ltd's YZPST-STC2326 N-channel logic enhancement mode MOSFET has 110V voltage rating, low gate charge and RDS(on), and fast switching speed. It uses ultrahigh cell density DMOS trench technology.

The supplier requires an order of 1,000 units. Delivery is within 20 days.

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