ECPE launches two international wide-bandgap-projects

The Power Electronics Cluster in ECPE has launched two new projects with Japanese organizations. The SiC-DCBreaker project is about electronic circuit breaker for DC networks based on SiC, the IsoGap project is about high temperature materials and reliability testing for wide bandgap devices.

After a two-year conception phase, the Power Electronics Cluster in ECPE together with selected Cluster stakeholders has developed an internationalization concept for a research cooperation with Japan. This involves novel wide bandgap power semiconductors (silicon carbide, SiC and gallium nitride, GaN) and their system integration. In the following implementation phase of the cluster internationalization, two BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) joint research projects, IsoGap and SiC-DCBreaker, were launched on August 1, 2018, with a term of three years and a total funding of three million euros.

In the SiC-DCBreaker project the cooperation partners on the German side, Infineon Technologies, Robert Bosch, Grass Power Electronics, ETA Elektrotechnische Apparate, the Institute IALB of Bremen University, the Fraunhofer Institute IISB and the Power Electronics Cluster in ECPE work on SiC-based circuit breakers for DC grids in high-voltage automotive on-board networks of electric vehicles as well as for applications in DC networks in buildings with PV supply. The Japanese sub-consortium includes university and industry partners from the NPERC-J consortium (New Generation Power Electronics and System Research Consortium Japan).

In the IsoGap project the cooperation partners on the German side, Conti Temic microelectronic, Rogers Germany, Plasma Parylene Systems, Zestron/Dr. OK. Wack Chemie, the IALB Institute of the Bremen University, the Fraunhofer Institute IISB and the Power Electronics Cluster in ECPE work on insulation systems for highly integrated wide bandgap power semiconductor modules as well as on extended reliability tests. The Japanese sub-consortium coordinated by the University of Osaka includes major materials companies for high-temperature assembly and interconnection technologies.

Source: https://www.elektroniknet.de/