Protection of the global environment and especially the reduction of global CO₂ emissions are issues that are becoming more and more important for human society. Harnessing the trends toward expanding the usage of power electronic equipment, improving power conversion efficiency, and reducing the usage of resources, Fuji Electric has been helping to reduce global CO₂ emissions by improving the performance, compactness, reliability and cost of its power semiconductor products.This paper presents the current status and future outlook for Fuji Electric's main products: power modules, power discrete devices, and power ICs.

Systems having higher outputs and smaller size are needed to further the adoption of hybrid vehicles, which are expected to contribute to prevent global warming. IGBT chip as power device for these vehicles requires furnishing electrode construction suitable for higher current densities and double-sided cooling structures. Fuji Electric has developed a cell structure for the IGBT by applying 1,200 V FS (field stop) type trench gate IGBT technology and improved the current density up to 1.6 times compared to conventional industrial use IGBT. In addition, the electrodes were fabricated by coating top faces of aluminum electrodes on the chip surface with Ni plating.

Fuji new V-series compact IGBT-PIM is presented in this paper. The new PIMs incorporate the design concepts of low noise radiation, high performance and compact size. The combination of low thermal impedance packaging technology and the newly developed 6th generation V-IGBTs have resulted in a technological breakthrough. As a result, the PIM rated power has been extended up to 1,200 V-150 A in package sizes comparable to that of a conventional PIM.

Power electronics equipment, as typified by uninterruptible power suppliers and various inverters are subject to never-ending requests for higher efficiency, smaller size, lower cost and less acoustic noise. Power conversion semiconductor elements used in the power electronics equipment are also required to have higher performance, lower cost and higher reliability. And in response to environmental problems, lead-free solder has recently begun to be used. Furthermore, these devices are required to have easy assembling property.
This paper describes spring contact modules equipped with U4 chips developed for improved performance and designed to use leadfree solder.

This paper presents a summary and performance characteristics of a 3.3 kV-1.2 kA IGBT module newly developed in response to market needs for higher voltage (3.3 kV and above) and higher capacity IGBT modules. Fuji Electric's U-series IGBTs are used to realize lower loss. The module achieves the excellent characteristics of a maximum operating temperature of 150 ・C and ample switching tolerated capability. The package uses an AlN isolation substrate and an AlSiC base to increase reliability and lower the thermal resistance. Moreover, the isolation design is optimized and component materials are selected so as to achieve sufficient isolation performance.

This paper presents an application of a Magnetic Energy Recovery Switch (MERS) to a power generation system that uses a synchronous generator. By compensating for the synchronous reactance voltage drop of the generator, the generator voltage can be increased and the output current decreased. Additionally, the development of a low onvoltage (1.54 V) IGBT optimized for the MERS low-speed switching characteristics enables the total power dissipation in a power conversion system to be reduced by 20 % compared to that of a conventional PWM converter-based system.

The Fi007 IC has been developed as a dedicated IC for driving IGBTs used in the power conversion systems of gasoline hybrid vehicles. This IC integrates a 15 V driver for IGBTs and protective functions (overheat, overcurrent and supply voltage drop protection, and soft interrupt) into a single chip, and contributes to the stable operation and prevention of burnout of IGBTs, and to system miniaturization. The package is a lead-free compliant SSOP-20 and its high reliability is ensured by using bonding wire capable of withstanding at temperatures of 175 ・C.

To support environmental issues and comply with demand for enhanced safety, comfort and energy-savings, most automotive components are being made as electronic components. Electronic parts, however, may cause electromagnetic interference due to radiation noise, and have the problem of electromagnetic sensitivity easily affected by surrounding noises. Thus, the reduction of radiation noise is also important for the igniter. This paper introduces Fuji Electric's single-chip igniter developed for automobile use and that features for reducing radiation noise.

In the automobile industry, accompanying the tightening of environment-related regulations, there are increased efforts to address environmental issues, and the importance of higher precision andmore efficient automobile engine management, and pressure sensors, a key device, is also increasing. Fuji Electric has recently developed a 5th generation digital trimming type small-size pressure sensor chip. This paper presents an overview of the product and introduces design technology related to chip miniaturization. The newly developed chip provides the same functionality, precision and EMC protection as a 4th generation conventional mass-produced chip, yet is realized in a chip area 70 % the size of the 4th generation chip.

In recent years, in order to make portable electronic devices more convenient to carry and to increase the lifespan of battery power, there has been strong demand for the semiconductor components used in these devices to have smaller size, lighter weight and less power consumption.
As portable electronic devices become smaller and thinner, the lithium-ion batteries used as their power supplies are required also urgently to be made thinner. This paper introduces Fuji Electric's newly commercialized series of lithium-ion battery protection ICs that will enable thinner batteries in the future.

Accompanying the rapid increase in popularity of flat-panel televisions and the like in recent years, demand has increased for buck converter ICs that step-down voltages mainly from 24 V-and 12 Vinput intermediate buses. Moreover, as a result of the trend towards devices that are thinner and have higher functionality, buck converters are being required to have smaller sizes and to output larger currents. With the goal of attaining operation at higher frequencies and with a larger current output than in the past, Fuji Electric has developed a synchronous buck converter IC that features a maximum input of 28 V, current mode control, an internal high-side N channel MOSFET, and a maximum output current of 3 A. This paper introduces Fuji Electric's new synchronous buck converter IC.

The FB6800 micro converter series introduced in 2004 is a series of single-channel DC/DC converter modules that integrate an inductor and control IC into an ultra-compact size.
Fuji Electric's 3rd generation FB6832J series maintains the same structure as the 2nd generation devices, but has a 19 % smaller footprint. Moreover, targeting small current applications of 300 mA or less, high efficiency is maintained by adopting a design suited for small size inductors. This paper introduces Fuji Electric's 3rd generation micro converters and focuses on the FB6832J series.

Switching power supplies are trending toward higher frequencies and higher efficiency. Some large capacity power supplies have been equipped with a power factor correction (PFC) circuit to prevent high harmonics, and reduction of the loss in the high-speed diode and MOSFET used in these PFC circuits is an issue for increasing the efficiency of the power supply. In order to reduce this loss, Fuji Electric has newly developed and commercialized the Super LLD3 series of 8 to 20 A diodes that simultaneously realize 25 % faster trr and 20 % lower VF than conventional diodes. Use of this Super LLD3 series enables a reduction in not only diode loss but also MOSFET loss, and lower temperature and higher efficiency of the entire PFC circuit is anticipated.

In the field of switching power supplies, where high efficiency and low noise are critical factors, there is a great need for low-loss, lownoise and easy-to-use devices. In response to this need, Fuji Electric has developed the SuperFAP-E3 series of MOSFETs that realize both high performance and ease of use. A newly developed edge termination structure and an optimized quasi plane junction realize planar power MOSFETs that maintain high avalanche ruggedness while improving RDS (on) by approximately 18 %. Moreover, gate resistance-based switching dv/dt control is also improved.

Global warming is a worldwide problem, and energy savings has become an important issue for all electronic products. Lower standby current consumption when a device, always plugged into an electrical outlet, is not being used is increasingly requested, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the development stage. To satisfy this request, Fuji Electric is strengthening functions that support low standby power, and has developed and commercialized the FA5553/5547 series of current mode PWM control ICs that feature enhanced protection functions optimized for each product. This paper describes the features of these control ICs and presents examples of their application to power supply circuits.

As switching power supplies come into widespread use, the problem of the mains harmonic current is coming under close scrutiny. To resolve this problem, an 8-pin critical conduction mode FA5500/5501 series and a 16-pin continuous current mode FA5502 series have been commercialized as control ICs for active filter circuits. This paper presents an overview of Fuji Electric's recently developed FA5550/5551 series of 8-pin continuous current mode ICs having a simple active filter circuit design and few externally mounted parts.

As competition between PDP and LCD televisions intensifies, higher functionality and lower cost are being required of PDP address driver ICs. In response, Fuji Electric has developed 5th generation process device technology, and has mass-produced address driver ICs equipped with high-speed data transmission technology and the like. The 5th generation address driver ICs achieve a 30 % reduction in size compared to the previous ICs. This paper describes details of the abovementioned technology and presents an overview of these products.

This paper introduces Fuji Electric's SOI devices with 250 V blocking capability, development of which was completed in 2006. The available devices are a lateral IGBT, a lateral NMOSFET, a lateral PMOSFET with a thick gate film and a lateral diode. Aiming for a 250 V withstand voltage, each device is provided with the capability to withstand 300 V so that when 250 V is applied breakdown tolerance during operation can be ensured. This paper presents an overview of the SOI device process technologies and an overview of lateral IGBT technology, and describes withstand voltage design examples for 250 V blocking capability SOI devices.

Cu/CuMo Lead Frame Joining Technology Using a YAG LaserMiniaturization of an IGBT and FWD chip is an effective means to reduce the product cost of power semiconductor modules. However, the reduction in available wiring space on the chip surface as a result of miniaturization has reached the physical limit for conventional aluminum wiring. Moreover, with the larger currents of power semiconductor modules, the technology for dissipating heat of the chip and the aluminum wiring has also become important. In response to these issues, Fuji Electric has developed technology that uses a pulsed YAG laser to weld a lead frame made of Cu on a heat spreader made of CuMo.

The dielectric breakdown in thick (tox>15 nm) SiO2 films has been examined by focusing on its statistical properties. Dielectric breakdown over time has been measured using both the Fowler-Nordheim and the substrate hot hole injection techniques under various bias conditions. It is demonstrated that in the case of thick oxide films the Weibull slope fﾀ is a function of the stress condition, and it is much smaller than the value predicted by the percolation theory. This paper discusses the effect of trapped holes on breakdown characteristics.