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Internal circuit diagram of SLLIMM intelligent power module

Today's market requires high-performance solutions that meet stringent requirement for energy saving, compactness, and reliability as well as lower system costs in home appliances and low-/medium-power motor drive applications as well as in HVAC units, servo motors and other high-power industrial drives.

STMicroelectronics has developed the SLLIMM (Small Low-Loss intelligent molded module) family of compact, high-efficiency, dual in-line intelligent power modules (IPM) with optional extra features for addressing these needs.

SLLIMM IPMs belong to the STPOWER family.

Advantages of intelligent power modules vs discrete-based inverters

Motor control applications usually share the same topology based on a three-phase inverter, which is used to convert static frequency and voltage into variable one.

In a simplified manner, a three-phase inverter consists of six switches, gate drivers, a control unit, and a signal conditioning circuit. For certain power ranges, a heatsink mounted on a power stage is required. The typical discrete approach for motor drive designs offers high flexibility, but has several drawbacks: more components, larger PCB significant stray inductance, and complex heatsink mounting.

Instead, the use of an intelligent power module overcomes these limits, since it replaces the 3-phase inverter configuration with an integrated solution, improving the design time and reliability, reducing manufacturing cost and efforts, minimizing stray inductances and facilitating heatsink mounting.

Comparison of intelligent power module vs discrete approach with cons and pros

SLLIMM intelligent power modules provide a high-integration level that means simplified circuit design, reduced bill of materials, lower weight, and improved reliability. Available with different options in terms of packages (fully molded and direct bonded copper) and leads (through-hole and SMD), these IPMs combine six power switches (planar and/or trench IGBT, planar and/or super-junction MOSFET) and drivers in a 3-phase inverter configuration ensuring the best compromise between conduction and switching energies with outstanding robustness and EMI behavior.

ST offers strong technical support and a comprehensive ecosystem (online simulator, evaluation boards, and documentation) to help designers in developing their applications.

Applications

Thanks to a very large product portfolio combining different package options and ST’s best-in-class technologies, the SLLIMM family addresses a wide range of industrial applications:

Dish machine
  • Air conditioners
    (window/wall/portable)
  • Dishwashers
  • Dryers
  • Induction stovetops
  • Kitchen hoods
  • Refrigerators and freezers
  • Washing machines
Industrial motor control
  • AC Motor Drives
  • Servo Motor Drives
  • PMSM / BLDC
    Motor control fans
  • Pumps and
    compressors
Server win a fan
  • Commercial
    indoor/outdoor
    HVAC units
  • Central
    indoor/outdoor
    HVAC units
Industrial arm
  • Industrial robots
Car in a speed motion
  • Automotive BLDC
    motor control
HVAC and climate control
  • HVAC and climate
    control

Product types:

SLLIMM nano

This series, including SLLIMM nano and SLLIMM nano 2nd series, combines six switches (IGBT or high voltage MOSFET) driven by three half-bridge high-voltage gate drivers.
These very compact IPMs are available in different full-molded packages: surface mount (SMD) and through-hole (in line and zig-zag) options and with a current capability from 1 to 8 A.
The SLLIMM nano family is tailored for home appliances such as roller shutters, fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines as well as pumps, fans, and motor drives working up to 20 kHz in hard-switching circuitries in a range up to 600 W.

SLLIMM 2nd series

This series is designed using an internal configuration featuring one high-side and one low-side driver, and includes improved trench gate field-stop IGBTs and super-junction MOSFETs as switching options, with a current capability from 8 to 35 A. These IPMs are available in full-molded and top-side cooling direct bonded copper (DBC) packaging options suitable for low-to-medium and high-power applications respectively. The SLLIMM 2nd series enables high power efficiency in home appliances (washing machines, pumps, fans, and AC units) and motor drives working at up to 20 kHz in hard-switching circuitries from 300 W to 3 kW.

SLLIMM high power (HP)

This is the new compact, powerful, dual-in-line series, which expands the existing SLLIMM IPMs in terms of breakdown voltage, current capability, and power range.
These IPMs integrate a complete inverter stage, including six short-circuit rugged IGBTs with freewheeling diodes, associated with high-side and low-side gate drivers in a single package. Built-in features for fault protection and temperature control are also included.
It’s mainly tailored for industrial applications such as HVAC, servo motors, general-purpose inverters (GPI), and industrial washing machines for power applications up to 7 kW.

Discover our portfolio

These features make the SLLIMM family ideal for enhancing the efficiency of 3-phase inverters for any motor drive operating up to 20 kHz in hard-switching circuitries and for an application power range from 10 W to 7 kW.

SLLIMM intelligent power module product types SLLIMM nanoSLLIM 2nd seriesSLLIM high power

Benefits

  • System integration and compactness
  • Reduced bill of materials
  • High efficiency and low power losses
  • Extended power range up to 7 kW
  • Increased thermal dissipation capabilities
  • High reliability and robustness
  • Pin-to-pin compatible with main industrial IPM competitors

eDesignSuite

eDesignSuite is a comprehensive set of easy-to-use design-aid utilities ready to help you streamline the system development process with a wide range of ST products.

Power Management Design Center

Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

Signal Conditioning Design Tool

NFC/RFID Calculators

Choose design tool:
Power Management Design Center

Power Supply Design Tool

SMPS design, by topology, by type and by product
PFC design with analog and digitial control
Supports various PCB configurations
Choose type:
DC/DC
AC/DC
Solar Battery Charger
Power Management Design Center

LED Lighting Design Tool

Handles AC-DC and DC-DC design in common topologies
Displays interactive and annotated schematic
Provides current/voltage graphs, Bode plots, efficiency curves and power-loss data
Choose type:
DC/DC
AC/DC
Power Management Design Center

Digital Power Workbench

Provides a step-by-step optimized design of power section and control loop
Generates the STM32Cube embedded software package for custom applications and allows firmware project generation, compatible with multiple STM32 IDEs
Power Management Design Center

Power Tree Designer

Specify input/output power for each node in the tree
Check for consistency
Design each individual node
Choose design tool:
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

AC Switches Simulator

Select ratings and application waveforms
Get junction temperature and blocking voltage graphs
Search and sort suitable devices
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

Rectifier Diodes Simulator

Select ratings and application waveforms
Estimate power losses
Search and sort suitable devices
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

STPOWER Studio

Supports long mission profiles
Provides power loss and temperature graphs
Helps define heatsink thermal properties
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

Twister Sim

Help select the right ViPOWER Automotive power device
Supports load-compatibility, wiring harness optimization, fault condition impact and diagnostic analysis
Supports various PCB configurations
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

TVS Simulator

Specify system ratings and surge waveform
Search and sort suitable devices
Thermal-electrical Simulators for Components

Estimate

Build simple schematics and firmware inputs in minutes
Quickly generate reliable estimates of battery life, system power consumption and bill of materials costs
Choose design tool:
Signal Conditioning Design Tool

Active Filters

Handles multi-stage-designs and common topologies
Returns circuit component values
Provides gain, phase and group delay graphs
Low Pass, High Pass and Band Pass
Signal Conditioning Design Tool

Comparators

Handles most common configurations
Returns circuit components values
Provides I/O signal waveforms
Inverting, Non Inverting, Window
Signal Conditioning Design Tool

Low side Current Sensing

Returns circuit component values
Provides current error graphs
Signal Conditioning Design Tool

High side Current Sensing

Provides current error graphs.
Help to select the right High side current sensing and shunt devices.
Choose design tool:
NFC/RFID Calculators

NFC Inductance

Input geometry and substrate properties
Get antenna impedance
NFC/RFID Calculators

UHF Link Budget

Enter forward and reverse link characteristics
The tool returns link budget estimate
NFC/RFID Calculators

NFC Tuning Circuit

Enter antenna parameter and matching target
Select the topology of the matching network
The tool returns component values for the desired design targets