Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors offer inverter designers new options, boasting lower on resistance than traditional Si-based power MOSFETs and higher operating temperatures, for improved system efficiency.
These modules are perfect for hard and resonant switching topologies and can be easily controlled using user-friendly drivers like Infineon’s CoolSiCTM HEXFETs – they also boast faster switching speeds and more reliable performance.
High switching frequency
Silicon carbide mosfets can operate at higher switching frequencies than their silicon counterparts, enabling more efficient power conversion and faster switching, reduced parasitic inductance, and decreased switching losses. Unfortunately, however, the increased switching frequency introduces additional side effects which must be considered when designing power supplies; such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) and overvoltage.
Silicon carbide MOSFETs also boast much lower conduction and switching losses, enabling designers to achieve higher energy efficiency and power density with their designs, as well as smaller inductive and capacitive components which may help bring costs down.
Silicon carbide MOSFETs boast high switching frequencies that enable them to switch current hundreds of times every second, leading to decreased switching losses and greater efficiency, leading to more compact circuitry that benefits systems requiring high performance power conversion such as servers or data centers. This feature can provide significant cost-savings benefits.
SiC MOSFETs boast excellent reliability and durability, making them the ideal solution for power distribution applications. These devices can be utilized in DC/DC converters, on-board chargers, uninterruptible power supplies and PV inverters; packaged and bare die versions are both available – these chips can withstand voltages of up to 1,200 V allowing them to accommodate high power applications such as on-board charging in hybrid electric vehicles.
Low on-resistance
Silicon carbide power MOSFETs (or SiC FETs), more commonly referred to by their acronym of SiC MOSFETs or FETs, offer numerous advantages over their silicon counterparts. First of all, these semiconductor devices boast higher blocking voltage and lower on-state resistance values – qualities which make them particularly suitable for switch mode power supplies and voltage converters owing to reduced loss levels.
Silicon carbide MOSFETs also boast the advantage of operating at high temperatures, making them suitable for applications where conventional power semiconductor devices would derate under stress or transients, making them suitable for power systems applications where temperature extremes are commonplace.
Low on-resistance is a key performance parameter of power MOSFETs and requires the coordination of numerous factors to achieve. To begin, make sure your MOSFET isn’t overdriven; to do this limit input current and gate drive power to an acceptable level; next, reduce switching losses by decreasing on-state resistance and increasing flatness; finally reduce switching losses by increasing on-state resistance reduction and on-resistance flatness reduction.
UnitedSiC has developed an ultra-low on-resistance SiC MOSFET that delivers this capability using a trench design: 1200 V, 8.6 MO and 30 A in its TO247-4L package (UF3SC120009) with 0.75 V drain-source voltage and drain current of 30 A. It boasts high blocking voltage as well as low specific on-resistance.
High efficiency
Silicon carbide MOSFETs deliver superior efficiency at higher switching frequencies and lower operating temperatures compared to traditional IGBT products, making them perfect for electric vehicle chargers, UPS systems and solar panel inverters due to their ability to withstand transients while producing minimal heat emissions – this allows higher output voltages while simultaneously saving end users energy costs.
MOSFETs also boast lower RDS(on) at elevated temperatures than IGBTs, offering significant power density advantages. MOSFETs may reduce component sizes while permitting lighter equipment and thus lowering total system cost; additionally, their superior thermal conductivity makes them more environmentally-friendly than conventional semiconductors.
SiC Power MOSFETs are much more robust than IGBTs, able to withstand higher voltages and currents without degradation over their long lifespans. This enables designers to achieve higher energy densities while meeting performance requirements of electric vehicle chargers, photovoltaic inverters, UPS systems and motor drives.
SiC Power MOSFETs have quickly established themselves as market leaders in power electronics. To meet the rising demand, ST is developing multiple technological innovations; among these is an improved planar design which promises a lower on resistance RDS(on). This innovation will allow manufacturers to create more energy-efficient systems suitable for mid-size and compact electric vehicle use.
High reliability
Silicon carbide (SiC) is an exceptionally hard and robust material which offers enhanced performance within power semiconductor devices, particularly MOSFETs made of SiC. SiC MOSFETs can prove especially helpful when used in high voltage power electronics circuits.
SiC MOSFETs boast lower ON resistance compared to their silicon equivalents, leading to lower switching losses and greater temperature tolerance – qualities which make them particularly suited for uninterruptible power supplies and other critical systems that demand long-term reliability.
SiC MOSFETs are well known for their superior electric field strength, enabling them to operate at higher voltages than silicon devices and helping reduce system cost by enabling smaller inductive and capacitive components to be used while increasing efficiency as switching speed can increase. This also contributes to greater switching speeds which results in greater energy savings overall.
However, SiC power MOSFETs have yet to gain widespread adoption due to a number of issues, including reliability concerns, parametric stability issues and lifetime issues. To counteract this challenge, manufacturers have come up with innovative designs which allow them to deliver all the benefits associated with SiC MOSFETs without compromising performance – for instance using Schottky barrier diodes embedded into MOSFET structures to disable body diodes; these devices significantly decrease On resistance of SiC MOSFETs as well as improve reliability in high voltage applications.
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