High-Side Gate Driver# Technical Documentation: FAN7362M High-Voltage Half-Bridge Gate Driver IC
Manufacturer : FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR (now part of ON Semiconductor)
Document Version : 1.0
Date : October 26, 2023
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## 1. Application Scenarios
The FAN7362M is a monolithic high-voltage gate driver IC designed to drive both high-side and low-side N-channel power MOSFETs or IGBTs in a half-bridge configuration. It integrates two independent, isolated channels with a floating high-side driver capable of operating with bootstrap or isolated bias supply architectures.
### Typical Use Cases
* Motor Drive Inverters : The primary application is in three-phase inverter topologies for driving Brushless DC (BLDC) motors and Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs). It provides the necessary high-side level shifting and gate drive capability for each phase leg.
* Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) : Used in high-power, high-frequency converters such as half-bridge and full-bridge topologies (e.g., LLC resonant converters, phase-shifted full-bridge) for server power, telecom rectifiers, and industrial power systems.
* Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) : Employed in the inverter stage to generate a stable AC output from a DC bus, requiring robust high-voltage switching.
* Solar Inverters : Drives the power switches in the DC-AC conversion stage of micro and string inverters.
* Induction Heating & Welding Equipment : Provides reliable switching for high-frequency, high-power resonant circuits.
### Industry Applications
* Industrial Automation : Motor drives for conveyor systems, robotics, CNC machines, and pumps.
* Consumer Appliances : High-end inverter-driven air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines.
* Automotive : Auxiliary systems and emerging applications in electric vehicle (EV) auxiliary power modules (note: not typically for main traction inverters due to voltage/current specs).
* Renewable Energy : Power conversion stages in solar and small-scale wind energy systems.
* Telecommunications & Computing : High-density DC-DC converters and server PSUs.
### Practical Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
* High-Voltage Operation : The high-side driver can operate with a bootstrap voltage up to 600V, suitable for common 400V DC bus systems.
* Integrated Functionality : Combines level shifter, bootstrap diode (in some variants), and two drivers in one package, reducing component count and board space.
* Robustness : Features like under-voltage lockout (UVLO) for both channels prevent malfunction during power-up/down, enhancing system reliability.
* Cross-Conduction Prevention : Built-in dead-time insertion or compatibility with external dead-time control prevents shoot-through currents in the half-bridge.
* Fast Switching : Capable of driving large gate capacitances with high peak current (typ. 2.5A source/3.5A sink), minimizing switching losses.
Limitations:
* Bootstrap Limitation : In continuous 100% duty cycle applications, the bootstrap capacitor can discharge, causing high-side driver failure. An isolated floating supply is required for such duty cycles.
* dv/dt Immunity : While good, extremely high slew rates (dv/dt) on the switch node (VS pin) can cause transient currents through the parasitic capacitance of the level shifter, potentially leading to malfunction. Careful layout is critical.
* Peak Current : For very high-power MOSFETs/IGBTs with extremely large gate charge (Qg), the peak drive current may be insufficient, potentially requiring an external booster stage.
* Temperature : Maximum junction temperature is typically 150°C. In high-ambient
