Semikron semiconductor power modules at TME

04.10.2022

Solutions designed for industry.

Dynamically changing market needs constantly force manufacturers to look for innovative solutions. In many cases, technological advancements now boil down to process automation that eliminates human error, improves the quality of life, and increases production capacity in industrial plants. Due to climate policy, and the ever-increasing demand for electricity, the ability to produce and store energy from renewable sources is an especially important issue. Then, thanks to this energy, we are increasingly switching to electric cars, which are replacing internal combustion vehicles that pollute our environment. Semiconductor power modules are required for these and many other devices to function.

What are semiconductor power modules and what do they do?

Power modules are commonly used in systems related to broadly understood power conversion. This group includes components such as diodes, thyristors, and transistors for high-current and high-voltage applications.

The demanding characteristics of the work determine the need to use a sufficiently large housing, enabling efficient heat dissipation during high current flow. For this purpose, a metal base is often used in housing design. The transfer of high currents requires the use of screw or plug-in terminals, like the ones used in the discussed designs. Depending on customer needs, the available solutions include both single modules and more complex designs.

Due to the continuous progress in the efficiency of energy conversion, it is worth noting that power modules are widely used, among others, in the highly developed electromobility industry, motor control systems in electric cars, as well as in the wider industry, which is based on electric drives of various power levels. Semiconductor power modules can be found in all kinds of power supplies, power controllers, and rectifiers. They are also used in inverters and energy storage systems. They are responsible for converting the electrical energy produced in turbine systems.

Construction and characteristics of Semikron modules - an overview

A thyristor or diode module is a simple device that comprises one or two semiconductor chips. There are various connection configurations, including diode modules connected in series, having a common anode and a common cathode. Thyristor modules, on the other hand, can be equipped with a single thyristor, with a push-pull semiconductor – using a minimum of two amplifying elements, which allows you to double the output power, a dual series connection, or a common cathode configuration. In systems equipped with thyristors, it is possible to adjust the power.

Thanks to the efficient heat dissipation system, these devices are suitable for cooperation with installations with high forward currents, even up to over 3 kA.

Thanks to their modular design, thyristors can also be permanently connected to diode elements. Devices of this type are commonly used in rectifiers, welding machines, or DC motors. The SKKH106/12E SEMIKRON module with a maximum conduction current of 200 A can serve as an example.

IGBT modules - this is a special design that combines the advantages of both bipolar and unipolar transistors. In addition to the ease of regulation, which is made by changing the potential of the regulated gate, the device allows you to control currents up to 1000 A. It can block voltages as high as over 6 kV and integrate with systems as powerful as several hundred kilowatts. The SKM600GA17E4 module, commonly used in AC inverter controllers or UPSes, can serve as an example.

Summary

The wide range of products offered by Semikron is used in many fields of modern technology. We use it both in devices intended for domestic use and in modern and complex industrial systems. Many years of experience in the production of power modules and attention to the highest quality translate into the recognition of consumers and guarantee many years of reliable operation.

Semiconductor modules from a proven manufacturer

Semikron is a leading manufacturer of semiconductor modules. Founded in 1951 in Germany, the company has become one of the leading manufacturers of electronic modules, especially in the medium output range (from 2 kW to 10 MW). Currently, production takes place on several continents, including North and South America, Asia, and Europe.

TME offers a wide range of Semikron products. These include, among others, modules of the following types:

diode modules;
diode-thyristor modules;
thyristor modules;
IGBT – bipolar transistors with insulated gates, often used as connectors in inverters;
IPM –   high-performance modules that mount a dedicated drive circuit for drawing greater performance from an IGBT chip

Text prepared by Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o.

Source: www.tme.eu