Aratas America, formerly Omron Electronic Components, has launched the G3VH, a silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET relay rated for load voltages of 1,800 V or 3,300 V.
The relay provides 5,000 Vrms of dielectric strength between input and output, the isolation rating between the low-voltage control side and the switched high-voltage side. It comes in PCB-terminal and surface-mount six-pin DIP packages, and there are six variants split between the 1,800 V G3VH-181 and the 3,300 V G3VH-331. The part boasts low ON resistance, low leakage current and high-speed switching, a combination that Aratas says holds down power loss and heat generation.
Silicon carbide has a much higher critical electric field than silicon, so a SiC device blocks a given voltage across a thinner drift region.
MOSFET relays switch without mechanical contacts, avoiding the contact bounce, wear and arcing that limit electromechanical relays. Leakage current through an open relay adds to whatever the instrument downstream is reading, so the off-state figure sets the floor on what a switched high-impedance measurement can resolve.
Aratas says the new G3VH delivers improved defect detection and conformance testing accuracy and reduced inspection times, and says its compact footprint supports equipment miniaturization along with better measurement accuracy and stability. The company lists battery management systems, semiconductor test equipment and measuring instruments among the intended applications.
Source: Aratas America
