On December 14th, BYD Semiconductor announced that it has successfully developed and mass-produced a 1200V power device driver chip, BF1181, based on its previous research and development achievements. This month, it has started to supply to major manufacturers in batches.

According to the available information, the BF1181 is a magnetic isolation single-channel gate drive chip designed to drive 1200V power devices. It features excellent dynamic performance and operational stability, and integrates multiple functions such as fault alarm, active Miller clamping, and primary/secondary undervoltage protection. The BF1181 also integrates analog level detection capabilities, enabling temperature or voltage monitoring, thus enhancing the versatility of the chip and simplifying system design in terms of size, cost, and more.

To safely and reliably use power devices and achieve real-time control of the power devices' on and off states using the low-voltage drive signals from the MCU, power device driver chips are indispensable. These chips integrate driving functions with various protection features. It can be said that each power device requires a driver chip, and the appropriate driver chip can significantly enhance the performance of power electronic systems.

Bai Ran, the head of the Integrated Circuit Center at CCID Consulting, speaking to the reporter from China Electronics News, stated that IGBTs and power MOSFETs are generally used as switching elements in power circuits, motor drivers, and systems. To control IGBTs and MOSFETs, a voltage needs to be applied to the gate, which requires the use of a dedicated driver to apply voltage to the gate of the power device and provide driving current. The BF1181 is such a chip. Bai Ran believes that the BF1181 has two main highlights: first, compared to the previously developed 600V power device driver chips, the 1200V power device driver chips have a more diverse range of applications, including in new energy vehicles, photovoltaic inverters, industrial power supplies, and more. Second, in terms of operating temperature, it can meet the requirements for automotive-grade use.

Currently, China relies mainly on imports for power device driver chips used in automotive applications. Before this, there were essentially no automotive-grade high-voltage power device driver chips that met application requirements domestically. Bai Ran pointed out that China currently leads the world in terms of the number of new energy vehicles in operation and the annual growth rate. With a strong demand for imported automotive semiconductors, it is urgent to have domestically produced automotive semiconductor products with independent intellectual property rights to ensure the commercial interests of domestic original equipment manufacturers and the security of the new energy vehicle industry chain.

Distribution Map of Power Device Driver Chips for New Energy Vehicles

The 1200V drive chip BF1181 independently developed by BYD Semiconductor can also be applied to EV/HEV power modules, industrial motor control drives, industrial power supplies, solar inverters, and other fields. Before this, power device driver chips were easily overlooked due to their small single-chip value, which had a low proportion in the cost of automotive electronic systems. However, in automotive electronic systems, they are on par with power devices and play a crucial role in new energy vehicles.