News Article
New SiC JFETs propel SemiSouth into high-end audio market
SemiSouth says its latest silicon carbide devices are 15% cheaper than conventional SiC JFETs and are particularly suited for high end audio amplifier designs demanding the best linearity performance and lowest distortion.
SemiSouth Laboratories has launched a new family of low cost SiC JFETS with very good linearity targeted at high-end audio applications.
The SJEP120R100A and SJEP120R063A are claimed to offer best–in-class distortion. Compatible with standard gate driver ICs, both versions feature a positive temperature coefficient for ease of paralleling; extremely fast switching with no ‘tail’ current at up to a maximum operating temperature of 150 0 C and a low RDS(on)max of 0.100Ω and 0.063Ω respectively. Devices are available in TO-247 packages; the 100mΩ part is also available in die form for integration into modules.
Nelson Pass, founder of audio amplifier manufacturer Nelson Pass, comments, “Over the last forty years I have greatly appreciated the qualities of low power JFETs in audio circuits, and experimenting with the few examples of ‘unobtainable’ power JFETs has convinced me of their great potential. With the new SiC power JFETs from SemiSouth, this potential has been realised in reliable linear power amplifiers. In push-pull topologies, they exhibit a 50% to 70% improvement in distortion, and in single-ended circuits the improvement has been nearly ten-fold. Currently we profitably produce a small high-end audio amplifier using the SJEP120R100A devices and are engaged in developing other higher power amplifiers using this and the SJDP120R085 depletion mode devices.”
SemiSouth’s Director of Sales, Dieter Liesabeths, adds, “These parts are especially suitable for high end audio amplifier designs which demand the best linearity performance and lowest distortion. Compared to conventional SiC JFET for power applications, the prices for these audio parts has been reduced by about 15% in order to meet the demand of customers.”
