A big part of this move to electrification focuses on the power
aspect as modern EVs increasingly rely on power electronics
for propulsion, motor control, and battery system management.
The invention of the power MOSFET and the insulated-gate
bipolar transistor (IGBT) and their eventual adoption in vehicles
allowed for much higher switching frequencies that significantly
reduced power losses. Today, MOSFETs, along with diodes,
thyristors, and IGBTs, are the fundamental building blocks
of today's automotive power systems. However, even these
components are becoming outdated as new wide bandgap
materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride (GaN) are
replacing silicon-based components to achieve much higher
operating temperatures, higher breakdown voltages, and the
ability to switch at much higher frequencies that allow for further
reductions in the size and weight of power electronics circuitry.
In this e-book, we will touch on many of these components
and other complementary devices that ROHM provides for
automotive power applications, such as shunt resistors, gate
drivers, low-dropout (LDO) regulators, DC-DC converters, and
LED drivers. Founded over 60 years ago, ROHM is a leading
supplier of semiconductor components with a long history of
supporting automotive applications. All components introduced
in this e-book are AECQ-qualified, allowing engineers to select
the ideal solution(s) for their next automotive design.
1
Foreword
