Automotive Qualified DQ Diodes Enable Onboard Charging and Powertrain Applications
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—May 16, 2017—Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced its fast recovery DQ diode product family is now AEC-Q101 qualified, validating the devices have met the main criterion for electronic components used in the automotive market. Achieving the AEC-Q101 qualification enables automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as tier 1 and other suppliers to use Microsemi’s DQ diodes in a variety of onboard vehicle applications.
The company’s fast recovery DQ diodes offer higher switching speeds as well as an approximately 30 percent reduction in switching loss compared to traditional diodes used as rectifiers in AC-DC/DC-DC converters, and are ideal for applications requiring extremely low recovery charge and time. Microsemi’s DQ diodes are ideal for automotive applications including high frequency power factor correction (PFC) boost in hybrid/electric vehicle (H/EV) battery chargers and powertrain (motor drive/energy recovery) platforms, high frequency hard/soft switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) and inverters.
“We are seeing tremendous success of DQ diode use in automotive applications like DC/fast DC charger applications,” said Jason Chiang, strategic marketing manager for Microsemi. “Achieving AEC-Q101 qualification extends the viability of our DQ diode product family for on-vehicle power conversion applications where charging and powertrain systems require safe and reliable automotive-qualified components.”
According to the “Power Semiconductors in Automotive” report by IHS Markit, the market for fast recovery diodes is growing, and is expected to reach $1.1 billion by 2022 for automotive applications. While the primary market for DQ diodes has been in H/EV charging stations and other automotive applications, Microsemi’s fast recovery diodes can also be utilized within aerospace, communications, data center, defense, industrial and medical applications where higher switching performance than standard diodes are required.
Microsemi’s AEC-Q101 qualified DQ diodes provide faster hard and soft recovery times, lower reverse recovery charge time to protect circuits, lower leakage current and a higher diode avalanche rating than competitor devices. DQ diode devices are offered in 600 volt (V), 1,000V and 1,200V ratings and boast 15 percent lower reverse recovery charge than the previous generation parts.
