Delphi Technologies has begun volume production of an 800 V silicon carbide (SiC) inverter. The component uses silicon carbide-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technology. Delphi’s announcement follows a recent partnership with SiC semiconductors manufacturer Cree, which will combine Cree’s MOSFETs with Delphi’s traction drive inverters and DC/DC converters and chargers. Delphi’s new inverters are supported… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "MOSFET"
A closer look at current sensors in EVs
Pretty much every electronic circuit that handles significant power utilizes some means of measuring current, whether to simply protect against overload or because it is a basic functional requirement. In this article we’ll cover some of the more common devices and circuit techniques for measuring current in the major subsystems of an EV, including when… Read more »
Power Integrations’ new gate-driver system enables paralleling of up to four SiC power modules
Power Integrations, a manufacturer of gate-driver technology for medium- and high-voltage inverter applications, has introduced the SCALE-iFlex gate-driver system for IGBT, hybrid, and silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFET power modules with blocking voltages from 1.7 to 4.5 kV. The system consists of a central Isolated Master Control (IMC) and one to four Module-Adapted Gate Drivers (MAGs). The… Read more »
SiC vs GaN semiconductors for EV power converters: Tech Opinion
Just as engineers are starting to get used to the advantages (and quirks) of silicon carbide (SiC ) devices, another semiconductor material joins the fray: gallium nitride, or GaN. Though there are some superficial similarities between these two materials, and even some overlap in their areas of best use, it is my opinion that only… Read more »
A closer look at the losses in power semiconductors
A previous article examined loss mechanisms in traction motors, which tend to be the single biggest source of losses in a modern EV drivetrain. This time, the focus is on the various power semiconductors, as they are the next biggest source of losses. Also covered in brief are ways to mitigate these losses and design… Read more »
ALD’s six-channel printed circuit board automatically balances any size supercapacitor
Advanced Linear Devices (ALD), a California manufacturer of analog technology, has created a six-channel supercapacitor automatic balancing (SAB) printed circuit board (PCB). ALD says the board, known as SABMB6, can balance any size supercapacitor with zero added power dissipation. Each PCB can balance up to six supercapacitors stacked in a series, ranging from six to… Read more »
Wolfspeed introduces next-gen SiC diode for renewable energy and EV applications
Wolfspeed (a Cree company), has introduced its 5th-generation SiC Schottky diode, which is optimized for renewable energy, industrial power and EV applications. The 1,700 V C5D is commercially available in both bare die and package formats. It joins the current line of 1,700 V MOSFETs, which feature an optimized TO-247-4 Plus package that provides extra… Read more »
Top circuit protection considerations for DC fast chargers, a new class of high-voltage consumer electronics
DC fast charging isn’t just a godsend for EV drivers looking for a quick charge. It’s also an entirely new level of consumer electronics. “You and I, as members of the general public, have previously never had access to anything higher in voltage than what we see at home in our wall socket,” Tim Patel, Global… Read more »
Top causes of failure in power semiconductors
All electronic devices eventually die, and the failure can be quite spectacular if suitable foresight and care was not employed during the design and construction phases, especially if the device handles high power or is supplied by a large battery. It should go without saying that both conditions apply to much of the electronics inside… Read more »
Sumitomo Electric’s new generation of SiC transistors offer low on-state resistance
Sumitomo Electric’s new V-groove superjunction transistors, which it developed through a joint research project with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) use silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, and the company claims they offer the lowest on-state resistance yet achieved in an SiC transistor. Sumitomo has already developed V-groove MOSFETs that use a… Read more »