In order to diversify even more into the industrial sector, ST is introducing the first short circuit protected IGBTs. These products find applications primarily in high frequency inverters for motor control and welding equipment. In such applications the IGBT operates in a bridge topology and is required to withstand a short circuit for a certain minimum duration. The short circuit is detected by a control circuit that must be able to distinguish between a high-current condition that is normally encountered at start-up and a true fault condition. In the latter case the control circuitry reacts by turning off the IGBT until normal operation is restored. The new devices have 600V breakdown voltages. They are identified by the suffix “K” in the part number. In line with the application requirements, these devices are also available in a solution with a co-packaged freewheeling diode (the letter “D” is added to the part number).
