VisIC Technologies, Ltd and AB Mikroelektronik GmbH, a major player in automotive battery disconnect switches, collaborate to develop a D³GaN based high voltage solid-state battery disconnect switch for electric drive systems

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Nov 16, 2020, 03:00 ET

NESS ZIONA, Israel, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Reliable battery disconnect and short circuit protection is required for high voltage battery systems
Fast D³GaN switching is a key advantage for a high voltage solid-state battery disconnect switch
D³GaN developed for the automotive grade requirements
VisIC innovative Fast Short Circuit Detection (FSCD) solution to realize fast solid-state disconnect switch, required with Li-Ion batteries

VisIC Technologies Ltd., a global leader in gallium nitride (GaN) devices for automotive high-voltage applications, is pleased to announce its collaboration with AB Mikroelektronik GmbH, a major player in automotive battery disconnect switches to develop a D³GaN based high voltage solid-state battery disconnect switch with Fast Short Circuit Detection (FSCD) for future e-mobility to fulfill the functional safety requirements.

"We are happy to collaborate with AB Mikroelektronik, which is a major player in high power automotive applications with a strong experience in solid-state battery disconnect switches. This is a big advantage in developing the next step for a 400V battery switch," said Mr. Ran Soffer, VisIC VP Sales & Marketing. "Our effort to constantly serve our customers is raising the bar for high voltage, high current solutions for the EV market. Our focus for the EV industry using the D³GaN technology is enabling the future electric-drive technology to be aligned with the market needs to reduce the electric drive cost and improve its efficiency with a reliable high voltage automotive grad technology."

The collaboration with AB Mikroelektronik in the field of high voltage battery disconnect switches will benefit from the D³GaN capability of fast switching in safety-critical applications. In the event of a short circuit in the high voltage bordnet, it is mandatory to detect and disconnect the battery as fast as possible. This requires a very fast power switch and manage the short current until the short circuit is detected and disconnected.

The combination of VisIC D³GaN power switches with extremely low switching times and the VisIC's FSCD patented circuit meets the requirements to realize a reliable high voltage, high current battery disconnect switch, and to support the functional safety implementation in HV battery disconnect application.

"AB Mikroelektronik experience in high power integration using thick-film aluminum circuit boards and 48V battery disconnect switches will allow fast transfer to a high-voltage prototype," said Dr. Louis Costa, AB Mikroelektronik GmbH Head of Advanced Development. "Our long-standing experience in aluminum packaging for high power semiconductors will allow a fast transfer from existing solutions for 48V battery solid-state switches to a high voltage prototype. We consider GaN as a promising candidate for future e-mobility applications due to its high voltage and ultrafast switching capabilities."

This press release and further information can be found at www.visic-tech.com

About VisIC Technologies Ltd.

VisIC Technologies is a world leader in GaN electronics for xEV applications, focused on high-power automotive solutions. Its efficient and scalable products are based on deep technological knowledge of gallium-nitride and decades of experience. VisIC is committed to providing a step function improvement in terms of size and cost of energy conversion systems and is dedicated to high-quality customer support at all development phases. VisIC offers high power transistor products based upon compound semiconductor Gallium Nitride (GaN) material aiming to provide products for cost-effective and high-performance automotive inverter systems.

About AB Mikroelektronik GmbH.

For more than four decades AB Mikroelektronik in Salzburg (Austria) has been developing and producing advanced high-power electronics for customer-specific applications as a recognized partner of leading automotive manufacturers.

By providing innovative solutions we focus mainly on the implementation of customer-specific design in a cost-efficient and production-ready production concept, suitable for the economic production of high volumes and global manufacturing (Design-to-cost). Especially in the field of Electromobility, AB Mikroelektronik offers a wide product portfolio from electrified auxiliary units as engine control units up to DC-AC inverters for battery electrified vehicles or DC-DC converters for fuel cell-driven vehicles. Thereby a power range from some kilowatt up to more than 60 kilowatts at different voltage classes from 12 V over 48 V up to high voltage applications is covered.

SOURCE VisIC Technologies