July 24, 2008

Power density is today’s magic word in the world of high tech yet affordable electric drives, especially when it comes to the two workhorses in power electronics - the IGBT and its accompanying free-wheeling diode. Together, these two components constitute the core of high tech power electronic solutions. The new 1200V CAL diode provides 30% more power, yet is still thesame size as the previous chip generation, leaving more space in the power module. What’s more, the new fourth generation of CAL free-wheeling diodes is suitable for high application temperatures up to 175°C. These benefits mean that IGBT modules now take up less space and can be used with higher temperatures, making them suited for use in harsh ambient environments such as the engine compartment of hybrid electric vehicles.