IN Brief:
- Magnachip has added 15 sixth-generation E6 super-junction MOSFETs across 500 V and 600 V ratings.
- A 600 V, 280 mΩ E6 device ran approximately 5.3% cooler than Magnachip’s previous generation in a defined PFC stage comparison.
- The 600 V range includes DPAK, TO-220FA and TO-220SFA packages for sub-1 kW power applications.
Magnachip Semiconductor has expanded its sixth-generation E6 super-junction MOSFET portfolio with 15 devices across 500 V and 600 V ratings, targeting switch mode power supplies in televisions, notebook adapters, PCs and other systems below 1 kW.
The range combines several on-resistance classes and package options so designers can balance conduction loss, switching behaviour and thermal requirements around the power level and physical constraints of the converter.
Super-junction MOSFETs use alternating regions of differently doped semiconductor material within the drift region to reshape the electric field when the device blocks high voltage. That structure reduces the resistance penalty that would otherwise rise rapidly with breakdown voltage, improving conduction performance while retaining the voltage margin required by offline power supplies.
Conduction performance is only part of the loss calculation because a MOSFET in a power factor correction stage may switch tens or hundreds of thousands of times per second. Gate charge, capacitance, switching node parasitics and the behaviour of other devices in the circuit all contribute to loss and electrical ringing, so a lower static resistance does not automatically produce a better converter at the selected switching frequency.
Magnachip says the E6 generation has been developed around switching loss, oscillation, avalanche margin and electromagnetic interference as well as on-resistance. In one comparison, a 600 V, 280 mΩ device in a TO-220SFA package operated approximately 5.3% cooler than the previous generation when used in the PFC stage of a television switch mode power supply at a 100 V AC input.
The 5.3% result applies to that defined test configuration rather than every circuit using the device. Junction temperature also depends on switching frequency, load, gate drive, heatsinking, airflow, PCB copper and topology, so the measured difference indicates the behaviour of the two generations under Magnachip’s test conditions rather than a universal system improvement.
The 600 V devices are offered in DPAK, TO-220FA and TO-220SFA packages. DPAK supports surface mounting and short current paths on the PCB, while the TO-220 formats provide through-hole options where the power device needs a larger mechanical thermal path or attachment to a heatsink.
Voltage rating also determines how much margin remains above the normal DC bus. Rectified mains supplies have to withstand line variation and switching overshoot as well as the nominal operating voltage, so choosing between a 500 V and 600 V MOSFET requires the designer to account for transient stress and the protection strategy around the switch.
Raising the voltage rating can introduce electrical penalties if resistance or capacitance increases with the additional blocking capability. A broader range of devices gives engineers scope to choose around those competing requirements rather than assigning the same MOSFET to every adapter or SMPS operating point.
Notebook adapters, PC supplies and television power boards all place tight limits on thermal dissipation and component volume. Lower device loss can increase available thermal margin, but switching noise still has to remain within the limits of the PCB layout and EMI filter if the finished product is to pass electromagnetic compatibility testing.
Magnachip has moved all 15 E6 MOSFETs into mass production. The launch expands its high-voltage silicon portfolio while wide bandgap devices continue to move into higher-density conversion, leaving super-junction silicon with a substantial role in sub-kilowatt offline supplies where cost, established gate drive practice and familiar manufacturing processes remain important.
