STMicroelectronics Ships Compact 600-V IGBT Module at $4.35

STMicroelectronics has put a 600-V, three-phase IGBT inverter module into production at $4.35 per unit for 1,000-piece orders. The device, the STGI15C60S, is the first member of the company's new SLLIMM Compact series and shrinks a complete inverter bridge into an 18.8- × 32.8-mm molded package.

That footprint is more than 30% smaller than existing IGBT intelligent power modules in direct-bonded copper packages, according to the company. ST positions the part, rated at 20 A, for low- and medium-power motor drives in industrial drives, air conditioners, heat pumps, and home appliances.

What is inside the package?

The module belongs to the STPOWER portfolio. It integrates high- and low-side IGBTs forming a full three-phase bridge, plus two control ICs to drive them. A bootstrap diode and protection circuitry are also on board.

The package is a CDIPB-26L DBC housing with topside cooling. ST says the thermally efficient design delivers high reliability in hard-switching circuit topologies switching at up to 20 kHz. The direct-bonded copper substrate serves as the isolation and heat-spreading base.

The IGBTs use ST's trench-gate and short-circuit rugged technology. Very fast soft-recovery freewheeling diodes accompany each switch. The company says the combination yields low saturation voltage and stable dynamic performance, which translates into better energy efficiency in the end appliance.

How does the module simplify design?

Integration extends to the signal side. High-side reference outputs sit on the signal side of the dual-in-line package, a placement ST says simplifies the bootstrap circuit layout for board designers.

The driver design and IGBTs are optimized for low electromagnetic interference. Safety isolation is rated at 2,000 V RMS per minute.

Protection features include:

• Undervoltage lockout (UVLO), which disables the driver when supply voltage falls below safe levels
• Smart shutdown, which stops operation when a fault is detected
• An on-chip temperature sensor
• A comparator that lets designers flag any fault measurable as a voltage signal

Together these functions remove the need for external gate-drive and protection circuitry around the power stage in many appliance designs.

Why does the package shrink matter?

Appliance makers face continuous pressure to cut board area and assembled cost in variable-speed compressor and fan drives. A molded DBC module that carries the bridge, drivers, and protection in one part reduces component count and layout effort compared with discrete IGBT solutions.

Topside cooling adds a second benefit. It lets heat flow into a heatsink mounted above the module, freeing the board face below and supporting denser assemblies in the cramped enclosures typical of air conditioners and heat pumps.

The 20-A rating places the first SLLIMM Compact device in the lower tier of appliance drive power, where single-room air conditioners, heat pumps, and small industrial drives operate. The series outline leaves room for ST to extend the family, though the company has not announced additional current ratings.

Availability and pricing

The STGI15C60S is in production now. Pricing starts at $4.35 for orders of 1,000 pieces, a volume-price point that puts a full isolated three-phase inverter stage within reach of cost-sensitive white-goods platforms.

ST's release gives appliance and industrial-drive designers a smaller, fully protected, topside-cooled alternative to incumbent DBC-based intelligent power modules, and the single-digit dollar pricing should intensify competition in the low-power IGBT module segment where footprint, thermal design, and integration now decide design wins.