Unleashing the performance of 1200V SiC devices: driving the future of electrification

As the world accelerates toward electrification, driven by the electrification of transport, the global transition to renewable energy, and the growing demand for energy-efficient industrial systems, the role of advanced power semiconductor devices has become more critical than ever. In particular, the 1200V Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET is emerging as an enabler technology, especially in Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) transitioning to 800V systems.

By Amine Allouche and Poshun Chiu from Yole Group for Power Electronics World – Recognizing the immense potential and complexity of these devices, Yole Group and SERMA Technologies have joined forces to present two groundbreaking reports on the performance analysis of SiC MOSFETs. The first report, “SiC MOSFET Discretes Performance Comparison Analysis 2024 Vol 1,” delves into discrete 1200 SiC MOSFETs. The second report, “SiC Modules Performance Analysis 2024 Vol 1,” focuses on the performance of SiC power modules. Together, these reports offer an exhaustive comparison and in-depth analysis of SiC devices, providing essential insights for engineers, designers, and decision-makers in the semiconductor and power electronics industries.

One of the interesting conclusions is that some SiC devices may compete in performance if used in their optimal mode or under specific conditions over various temperature ranges…

SiC MOSFETs have gained immense traction in power electronics due to their superior properties, which enable them to operate at higher voltages, temperatures, and switching frequencies than traditional silicon-based devices. This makes SiC MOSFETs ideal for applications requiring high efficiency, reliability, and system compactness.
In the automotive industry, for instance, the shift from 400V to 800V systems in BEVs is being enabled by 1200V SiC MOSFETs. These devices not only support higher voltage levels but also reduce system losses, enabling faster charging time, improved vehicle range, and enhanced overall efficiency.

As a result, SiC MOSFETs are pivotal in the ongoing transformation of powertrain architectures and are becoming increasingly essential in achieving the performance targets set by modern electric vehicles. Among the automotive qualified discrete SiC MOSFETs covered by both analyses are those using trench technologies from ROHM Semiconductor and Infineon and planar technology from STMicroelectronics. Depending on the test temperature, it was shown that these technologies compete in the performance of some parameters, such as their leakage current or threshold voltage. Full article

Source: angelbc.com