November 21, 2018 Power Electronics Conference: Technical Trends with Wide Bandgap Semiconductors The Power Electronics Conference is an excellent opportunity to meet experts and share expertise in bringing down barriers and overcoming reluctance to use Wide Bandgap semiconductors. This year, the Power Electronics Conference will take place on December 4, 2018 at the Hilton Hotel at Munich Airport/Germany. Read more.

November 20, 2018 In the News: SiC Enables EV Charger that is More Efficient & 10X Smaller Researchers at North Carolina State University have built an electric vehicle fast charger that is at least 10-times smaller than existing systems and wastes 60 percent less power during the charging process, without sacrificing the charging time. The team is now building a version that is capable of charging vehicles more quickly, while also charging multiple vehicles at the same time. The new technology is called a medium voltage fast charger (MVFC). Read more.

November 16, 2018 In the News: Energy And Data – The Duo Defining Our Global Future The very fabric of economic life today is inextricably linked to data. But if you look closer, these game-changing technologies that we believe define our global future all rely either directly or indirectly on an even more basic element: energy. Read more.

November 12, 2018 In the News: Silicon Carbide – Driving Package Innovation As more and more wide bandgap semiconductors reach electric vehicle markets, industry can expect rapid power module package development, reports Compound Semiconductor. Read more.

November 9, 2018 Half-bridge Gate Drive Power Supply Reference Design from RECOM The R-REF01-HB reference design consists of a half-bridge suitable for voltages up to 1kV and a fully-isolated driver stage with isolated power supplies for the low-side and the high-side switching transistors. It is suitable for single-gate drive supply voltages as low as +4 V and dual-gate drive supply voltages as high as +20 V / -5 V (30 V max), with no maximum duty cycle limitations. Learn more.

November 5, 2018 In the News: A Future for Hybrid and Battery-Electric Wing Ships Research and development is currently under way involving small-scale, closed-cycle gas/air turbine engines that operate under elevated pressure. Advances in silicon-carbide chemistry has produced a variant that offers one of the highest recorded coefficients of thermal conductivity and maintains constant mechanical properties at temperatures up to 1400-degrees C. This material forms the basis of heat exchangers used closed-cycle turbine engines that offer competitive energy efficiency and lighter weight than conventional gas turbine engines… Read more.

October 18, 2018 Podcast: Solving "Range Anxiety" for Electric Vehicles In this episode of the PSDcast, Jim Witham with GaN Systems talks about "range anxiety" and discusses the biggest issues affecting the wider rollout of electric and hybrid vehicles. Listen now.

October 17, 2018 In the News: Jaguar Explains why In-house Powertrain is “an Advantage” “We’re using the latest silicon carbide control chips in the inverter which enables us to switch frequencies very quickly, control temperatures very well and also have a great degree of reliability. So it’s a very efficient device.” Read more.

September 13, 2018 Registration Still Open! Don’t Miss North America’s Largest Advanced Battery Technology Event The Battery Show (September 11-13) connects you with more than 8,000 engineers and executives, and more than 600 leading suppliers, across the advanced battery supply chain. A powerful, end-to-end showcase, this leading global industry event covers today's emerging advanced battery technology for the automotive, portable electronics, medical technology, military and telecommunications, and utility and renewable energy support sectors. Explore the full spectrum of cutting-edge solutions you need to make faster, smarter, and more cost-effective products at the most comprehensive industry event in North America. Register now.

September 10, 2018 Research Paper: Simulation of a High-Voltage Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Diode under High-Action Pulsed Operation This research presents the modeling of a SiC power diode at extreme pulsed power densities and shows direct correlation between measured high-power characterization and simulated current and voltage waveforms. SiC PiN diodes are slated to replace current silicon (Si) diodes used in various pulsed-power applications. These high-power diodes are critical in various pulsed systems to protect both active and passive components from reverse voltages and currents. SiC’s electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties make it a more viable candidate than its Si counterpart for high-action pulsed-power applications. Download now.

September 6, 2018 White Paper: Design of SiC MOSFET based High Efficiency Inverter for Solar PV Applications This paper demonstrates that SiC-based multilevel inverters are potent for solar power applications due to their ability to synthesize waveforms with better harmonic spectrum. Download now.

September 4, 2018 In the News: The Feds Blocked Cree’s Efforts to Sell its Chip Business. Now it’s Their Future. Early last year, Cree’s chip-making Wolfspeed subsidiary was akin to the company’s redheaded stepchild. Wall Street commentators saw it as a high-cost, low-profit business and applauded the electronics manufacturer’s plan to unload it to a German competitor. Nowadays, Cree’s top executives see Wolfspeed not as a liability, but as the key to the company’s future. They’ve told investors they think it can grow from generating about $221 million a year in revenue to about $850 million a year, and do that by 2022. Read more.

August 30, 2018 In the News: Cooling Wide-Bandgap Materials in Power Electronics Engineers are always looking for an edge in their designs to extract as much power and performance as possible from a system, while attempting to meet industry trends in miniaturization. In the power electronics industry, this has required an examination of the materials being used to overcome inherent limitations from heat, voltage, or switching speed. Read more.

August 27, 2018 Video: The Benefits of Silicon Carbide in DC/DC Converters Adil Salman from Wolfspeed recently shot a video with Power Electronic Tips covering a silicon carbide charging circuit demonstration. The charger used Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs. It had two stages. One is a PFC (power factor correction) stage, the other is an LLC converter stage. Watch the video.

August 23, 2018 In the News: How Silicon Carbide Helps to Get the Best from a Solar PV System When working with the design of solar inverters, meeting a certain efficiency specification was mandatory to be competitive in the market. This is a challenge, especially with 1200 V IGBTs, and required attention to every detail, from bus bar thickness to inductor core material. Read more.

August 21, 2018 In the News: Silicon Carbide Inverter Could Improve the Economics of Solar Power A silicon carbide inverter could halve the system cost of a photovoltaic facility and enable solar power to be consistently delivered to a growing number of homes and businesses through the power grid. Read more.

August 16, 2018 White Paper: Dual Active Bridge (DAB) DC-DC Converter for Multilevel Propulsion Converters for Electrical Multiple Units (EMU) The present paper proposes a different approach to implementation of modern traction converters in electric multiple units (EMUs) that involves the use of fast switching 1.2-kV SiC MOSFETS. The SiC-based PETT proposed in the paper is dedicated first for the DC traction. For multi-system application the input voltage of the proposed PETT can be adjusted using weight-optimized adjusting autotransformer. Thanks to utilization of fast-switching SiC-based power modules, the weight and size of the power electronic cells can be optimized in a convenient way. Download now.

August 13, 2018 In the News: SiC Power Semiconductor Market Growing at 29% CAGR to $1.4BN in 2023, Aided by Automotive Adoption The silicon carbide power semiconductor market is driven by diodes for power factor correction and photovoltaic applications, but transistors are rising at a compound annual grown rate of 50% to be the main driver in 2023. Learn more.

August 9, 2018 Low Inductance SiC MOSFET Power Modules Microsemi's SP6LI extremely low inductance silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET power modules feature phase leg topology ranking from 1200 volts (V), 210 amperes (A) to 586 A at a case temperature (Tc) of 80 degrees Celsius to 1700 V, 207 A at Tc of 80 degrees Celsius. Offering higher power density and a compact form factor, the new package enables lower quantity of modules in parallel to achieve complete systems, helping customers to further downsize their equipment. Learn more.

August 6, 2018 Application Note: MSCSICSP6LI/REF3 SiC SP6LI Module Driver Reference Design This reference design provides an example of a highly isolated SiC MOSFET dual-gate driver for the SP6LI SiC phase leg modules. It can be configured by switches to drive in a half-bridge configuration with only one side on at any time and with dead time protection. It can also be configured to provide concurrent drive, if necessary. Learn more.

August 3, 2018 Wide Input Voltage Range (300 VDC – 1200 VDC) 15 W Flyback Auxiliary Power Supply Board New evaluation board demonstrates the efficient operation of Cree’s 1700 V, 1 Ohm SiC MOSFET with an availability of high blocking voltage and high creepage distance (~ 7mm). Application note available. Learn more.

August 2, 2018 In the News: Wolfspeed Silicon Carbide Semiconductors First to Meet Automotive AEC-Q101 Standards Wolfspeed has announced its E-Series™, a new family of robust SiC semiconductor devices for the Electric Vehicle (EV) and renewable energy markets that delivers the highest available power density and durability for on-board automotive power conversion systems, off-board charging, solar inverters and other outdoor applications. Read more.

July 26, 2018 In the News: SiC Power Semiconductor Market Growing at 29% CAGR to $1.4bn in 2023, Aided by Adoption in Automotive Applications The SiC market is still being driven by diodes used in power factor correction (PFC) and photovoltaic (PV) applications. However, Yole expects that in five years the main SiC device market driver will be transistors, with a 50% CAGR over 2017-2023. Read more.

July 25, 2018 Vincotech – First in SiC-based Power Modules Vincotech is the go-to source for SiC-based power modules that boost efficiency and enable more compact designs. No one has shipped more SiC-driven power modules than Vincotech, so the company knows when SiC components are best for the customer's application and when another option is the wiser choice. Read more.

July 20, 2018 In the News: Cooling Wide-Bandgap Materials in Power Electronics Engineers are always looking for an edge in their designs to extract as much power and performance as possible from a system, while attempting to meet industry trends in miniaturization. In the power electronics industry, this has required an examination of the materials being used to overcome inherent limitations from heat, voltage, or switching speed. Read more.

July 18, 2018 Technical Article: DC Bus Switching Performance as Determined by Commutation Loop Parasitics and Switching Dynamics In this article a 250 kW all-SiC inverter evaluation kit designed around low-inductance, high-speed power modules is used to demonstrate the DC bus switching performance resulting from the interaction among commutation loop parasitics and the switching dynamics. Read more.

July 12, 2018 In the News: Siemens Reveals Velaro Novo High-speed Train Concept The train will be around 15% lighter than the current Velaro, reducing the weight of a seven-car train by more than 70 tonnes. This has been achieved through the use of inside-frame bogies, silicon carbide auxiliary converters, and the use of friction-stir welding for bodyshell fabrication. Read more.

July 9, 2018 In the News: UA Researcher Tackles Solar Power "Silicon carbide is kind of a next-generation material for use in power electronics devices," Becca Jones-Albertus, deputy director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office with the U.S. Department of Energy, said. It could replace silicon-based power inverter technology and reduce power losses, she said. Read more.

July 6, 2018 Microsemi Announces Extremely Low Inductance SP6LI Package Dedicated to SiC MOSFET Technology, Enabling High Current, High Switching Frequency and High Efficiency The new package, developed specifically for the company's SP6LI product family, is designed to offer 2.9 nanohenry (nH) stray inductance suitable for SiC MOSFET technology and enable high current, high switching frequency as well as high efficiency. Read more.

July 5, 2018 Next-Gen AEC-Q101 SiC 1200V MOSFETs and 700V Schottky Barrier Diodes Microsemi Corporation announced it will be expanding its Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET and SiC diode product portfolios early next quarter, including samples of its next-generation 1200V, 25mOhm and 80mOhm SiC MOSFET devices; next-generation 700V, 50A Schottky barrier diode (SBD) and corresponding die. Read more.

June 28, 2018 Silicon Carbide enables 30kW Three-Phase Vienna PFC Reference Design Microsemi Corporation has announced the availability of its new scalable 30kW, three-phase Vienna power factor correction (PFC) topology reference design developed in collaboration with North Carolina State University and featuring Microsemi’s silicon carbide (SiC) diodes and MOSFETS. Read more.

June 25, 2018 PSDcast – SiC MOSFETS for Automotive and Industrial Applications In this episode of the PSDcast, Microsemi’s Avi Kashyap chats about SiC MOSFETs and their use in automotive and industrial applications. Listen now.

June 21, 2018 In the News: PowerAmerica: Accelerating The Next Generation Of Wide-Bandgap Power Electronics Power electronics systems based on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are becoming mainstream. Supporting the transition to these long-anticipated technologies is PowerAmerica, a consortium of nearly 50 industry and university members focused on accelerating the adoption of SiC and GaN technology in a wide range of power electronics systems. Based at North Carolina State University, members range from startups to multinational corporations, as well as top research universities across the U.S. Read more.

June 18, 2018 In the News: Solar Energy Storage Problem May be Solved in New Single-System Technology Generating power from the sun isn’t the problem. The technology has been there for decades. Storing that power efficiently, however, has been a challenge. Until now. Read more.

June 7, 2018 Video: Five Minutes with… Larry Spaziani, VP, GaN Systems Gallium nitride, better known as GaN, is a power technology that seems forever locked in a battle with Silicon carbide, aka SiC. Is that battle a real one, or is it more a fabrication? Watch now.

June 4, 2018 Enter our Giveaway Early Online / Visit Richardson RFPD at Hall 6, Stand 333 at PCIM Europe 2018 As power conversion applications rapidly transition to GaN and SiC technologies, Richardson RFPD can assist you in your integration plans with our broad selection of GaN and SiC resources to help speed your time-to-market. Visit us at PCIM 2018 and enter for a chance to win a GaN, SiC or gate driver evaluation product. Click here to learn more and submit your entry in advance of the show.

June 1, 2018 In the News: GaN and SiC Power Semiconductor Market Growing at 35% CAGR to $1bn in 2020 then $10bn in 2027 Energized by demand from power supplies, photovoltaic (PV) inverters and adoption in the main powertrain inverter in hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV/EV), the market for silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 35% from 2017 to nearly $1bn in 2020 then $10bn in 2027, forecasts the 'SiC & GaN Power Semiconductors Report - 2018' from IHS Markit. Read more.

May 21, 2018 In the News: WBG Semi Device Makers Jockey for EV, HEV Applications Wide-bandgap SiC and GaN devices, from IGBTs to power modules, will play increasingly important roles—especially in terms of cost—in electric-vehicle design. Read more.

May 18, 2018 Cree’s Quarterly Revenue Driven by Wolfspeed’s SiC Materials and Power & GaN RF Devices For fiscal third-quarter 2018 (ended 25 March), Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has reported revenue of $356m, down 3% on $367.8m last quarter but up 4% on $341.5m a year ago. However, this includes just under a month’s activities from the Infineon RF Power business (acquired on 6 March). Excluding this, revenue was $352m, up 3% year-on-year, and towards the upper end of the expected range of $335-355m… Read more.

May 15, 2018 White Paper: Comprehensive Study on Gate Driver for SiC-MOSFETs with Gate Boost This paper proposes a gate driver topology that improves the switching performance of SiC-MOSFETs, and confirms the reduction in switching loss and delay time through experimental results. Download now.

May 10, 2018 In the News: Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors and Packaging GaN and Silicon Carbide suppliers are innovating from the pins in, providing incredible technologies, that inch us closer to the ideal switch. Frequencies and performance can be increased to unheard-of levels. The parasitic capacitances inherent in all semiconductor switches are drastically lowered, making devices easier to drive. Early manufacturing issues have largely been solved – reliability promises to meet, if not exceed, that of silicon semiconductor devices, and every day semiconductor devices are made better and better, including competing silicon devices… Read more.

May 9, 2018 Technical Article: The Ideal Package Design for Silicon Carbide and Wide-Bandgap Devices This article offers an examination of the packaging trends and opportunities for power discrete and modules for the most demanding power switching applications. Read more.

May 1, 2018 In the News: MEDCOM is Leading Manufacturer of Electric Bus Drives in Europe MEDCOM began working on its own bus drive in 2013 based on its experience in the manufacture of drives for other types of electric vehicles. The first serial product of this type for e-buses left the Warsaw factory in 2014. Now, the Polish manufacturer offers a whole variety of solutions for the European bus market, including drives for systems with a central motor and motors in hubs, drive inverters integrated with auxiliary power supply converters using silicon carbide (SiC) technology, as well as battery chargers for e-buses and charging stations… Read more.

April 26, 2018 White Paper: 10 kV SiC Power Module Packaging This paper describes the design, fabrication and characterization of a high-density, 10 kV, 60 A, wire-bond-less, planar SiC half-bridge module. Key design considerations include: the mitigation of high electric fields in the substrates, interconnects and lead-out connections; suppression of switching voltage overshoot and common-mode interference; high-performance thermal management. Read more.

April 25, 2018 Visit Richardson RFPD at Hall 6, Stand 333 at PCIM Europe 2018 As power conversion applications rapidly transition to GaN and SiC technologies, Richardson RFPD can assist you in your integration plans with our broad selection of GaN and SiC resources to help speed your time-to-market. Visit us at PCIM 2018 and enter for a chance to win a GaN, SiC or gate driver evaluation product. Click here to learn more and submit your entry in advance of the show..

April 12, 2018 In the News: Driving the Future of HEV/EV with High-Voltage Solutions Energy efficiency has become a key global focus because of its contribution toward reduced carbon-dioxide emissions. One significant area of contribution is the electrification of vehicular technology. Read more.

April 5, 2018 In the News: How Cree’s Infineon Acquisition Could Advance Semiconductors in Clean Energy Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are making their way into solar inverters, electric-vehicle chargers and — possibly — EV drivetrains. Read more.

April 2, 2018 In the News: Power Electronics: Noteworthy Industry Insights From APEC 2018 If you read nothing else, these words can sum-up the power electronics industry as it stands today: SiC, GaN and magnetics, with a focus on electric vehicles, digital servers, renewable energy and wireless… Read more.

March 29, 2018 In the News: Silicon Carbide Traction System Tested Successfully in Stockholm Trials on Stockholm’s Green Line with a C20 metro car equipped with Bombardier’s new silicon carbide (SiC)-equipped Mitrac TC1500 traction converter have shown energy reductions of up to 35%, and a 19 dB reduction in noise emissions… Read more.

March 15, 2018 In the News: Microsemi Continues Its Leadership in Silicon Carbide Solutions with New SiC MOSFETs and SiC SBDs Targeted at Industrial and Automotive Markets Microsemi has announced sampling availability of the first product in its next-generation 1200-volt (V) Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, the 40 mOhm MSC040SMA120B. The company also announced the release of its complementary 1200 V SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs), further expanding Microsemi's growing SiC discretes and modules portfolios. Read more.

March 14, 2018 In the News: 1kV SiC FETs Enable 6.6kW Bi-Directional On-Board Charger Design This 6.6kW bi-directional on-board charger (OBC) design targets high-efficiency, high-power-density onboard charger applications. The high voltage rating of Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs allows the dc bus voltage to vary according to the battery voltage to achieve optimal efficiency. Read more.

March 8, 2018 In the News: ARPA-E Funds Projects Using Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Power Conversion ARPA-E awards $30 million to advance a new class of high-performance power converters employing Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors like GaN and SiC. Read more.

March 5, 2018 In the News: Cree to Provide Silicon-carbide Wafers to Infineon Infineon Technologies AG (IFX.XE) said Monday that it has reached a long-term agreement with Cree Inc. for the supply of silicon-carbide, or SiC, wafers. Read more.

March 1, 2018 Article: Thirty Years of Driving Innovation – Why Silicon Carbide? Cengiz Balkas, SVP & General Manager at Wolfspeed, looks back to 1987, when the founders of Cree invested considerable time and effort in a material that they knew could create a more powerful world: silicon carbide (SiC). Scientists saw SiC’s potential to enable more efficient, reliable alternatives to silicon devices at high voltages, and Cree was the first to see and realize its commercial viability for use in power and RF semiconductors… Read more.

February 26, 2018 Technical Article: Wolfspeed SiC MOSFET-Based, Bidirectional, Three-Phase AC/DC Converters This article demonstrates a design concept using commercially available SiC MOSFETs (C3M0065100K), which meets new market requirements for bidirectional functionality. A prototype 20-kW system in a simple two-level topology — switching at 48 kHz is shown. The prototype is tested to full power where measured results suggest a potential approximately 0.5-1.0 percent efficiency improvement over Si IGBT systems. Read more.

February 22, 2018 On-demand Webinar: SiC MOSFETs in Hard-switched Half-bridges Silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are making major inroads into solar inverters. Engineers are keen to achieve high efficiency across the entire load range. SiC MOSFETs' low on-state resistance and low switching losses support those efforts, especially when the focus is on achieving high efficiency at light loads. The intrinsic body diode is a very rugged component that enables engineers to install SiC MOSFETs in hard-switched, totem-pole configurations that use synchronous rectification to achieve highest efficiency. But latest-generation SiC MOSFETs have their limitations. This webinar zooms in for a closer look at these drawbacks and puts forward solutions to resolve the issues at hand. View now.

February 21, 2018 In the News: 6.5kV Full-SiC Power Module Claims World’s Highest Power Density Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced that it has developed a 6.5kV full silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor module that is believed to offer the world’s highest power density (calculated from rated voltage and current) among power semiconductor modules rated from 1.7kV to 6.5kV. Read more.

February 15, 2018 NEW! Video: The Chips are on the Table, Now What? SiC System Optimization from the Chip Up SiC MOSFETs and diodes are gaining market share in the power electronics industry. Many designs already utilize discrete SiC devices. However, the transition from discrete devices to higher power modules is not always easy. This presentation focuses on the proper utilization of SiC devices in power modules and higher power applications. Watch now.

February 12, 2018 In the News: Wide Bandgap Wakes Up Wide-bandgap materials have been around for decades, used in RF applications as well as for LEDs and some power and switching applications. Today, however, alternative energy applications have become a huge driver in pushing the broad adoption of wide-bandgap materials. Read more.

February 8, 2018 Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs: In-Stock Now at Richardson RFPD Leverage Richardson RFPD’s stock for a selection of 900 V, 1000 V, 1200 V and 1700 V product. Act fast as availability is subject to prior sale. Learn more.

February 5, 2018 New White Paper Now Available Available now from Richardson RFPD, a new Microsemi white paper entitled "4H-SiC 1200 V Junction Barrier Schottky Diodes with High Avalanche Ruggedness." Request your free copy.

February 2, 2018 Event: APEC 2018 Join Richardson RFPD at APEC 2018, March 4-8 in San Antonio, TX. Visit us at stand 1147 and learn how Richardson RFPD can help you speed your time-to-market for GaN and SiC designs.

January 29, 2018 In the News: Cree CEO—Strategic Review is Nearly Complete CEO Gregg Lowe says Cree could be a month away from announcing its new “strategic direction…” Read more.

January 26, 2018 In the News: Wolfspeed Demonstrates the Potential for Silicon Carbide to Modernize U.S. Energy Grid Silicon carbide technology is at the core of the company’s plan. That technology allows it to advance a trend popularized in just about every corner of the technological marketplace: greater efficiency paired with smaller size. Thus far, many of their experiments with the technology have focused on the lower voltage side of the market, but the company is beginning to push its potential to make the whole grid more resilient. Strengthening the grid’s resiliency, particularly after natural disasters that lead to service disruptions, is critical… Read more.

January 24, 2018 White Paper: A Non-segmented PSpice Model of SiC MOSFETs To solve the simulation convergence problem of Silicon Carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (SiC MOSFET) models, this paper proposes a non-segmented model for SiC MOSFETs, which uses non-segmented, smooth continuous equations to describe the static and dynamic characteristics of SiC MOSFET. Further, the static characteristic of SiC MOSFET obtained by the non-segmented model is verified by comparing the simulation curves with the static curves provided in datasheet, and the dynamic characteristic is verified by comparing the simulation rise time and fall time of voltage with the datasheet based on the double pulse simulation circuit... Download the pdf.

January 18, 2018 White Paper: A Silicon Carbide Power Management Solution for High Temperature Applications The foundation of any electrical system is the ability to efficiently condition and supply power. The work presented in this thesis explores integrated SiC power management solutions in the form of linear regulators and switched capacitor converters. While switched-mode converters provide high efficiency, the requirement of an inductor hinders the development of a compact, integrated solution that can endure harsh operating environments. Read more.

January 17, 2018 White Paper: Switching Sequence for Balancing Heat Generation in Integrated Switched Reluctance Motor Drive Circuit This study applies Full-SiC H bridge circuit topology in Switched Reluctance motor (SR motor) drive and synchronous rectification to reduce conduction loss. In addition, it proposes switching sequence to balance heat generation in drive circuit for integrated SR motor drive system. The loss of inverter is experimentally evaluated and confirmed the effect of proposed heat balancing. Read more.

January 11, 2018 In the News: As Wide Bandgap Technology Rises, a New JEDEC Committee Kicks Off The Power Electronic Industry has achieved a new milestone with the creation of JEDEC’s newest main committee, the JC-70 Wide Bandgap Power Electronic Conversion Semiconductors. Read more.

January 8, 2018 In the News: The Top 2018 Trends Impacting the World’s Power and Energy Footprint – Challenges Will Be Met by A Wave of Power Systems Designed to Be Lighter, Smaller, and More Efficient Power – creating more efficient uses is one of the most pressing challenges in the 21st century. We live in an increasingly data and energy driven world that is following a clear trajectory of increasing reliance on and proliferation of data centers, electric vehicles, renewable energy, powerful industrial motors, and smart consumer electronics. The dramatic increase in computing, electronics, and global population demands attention to our growing power and efficiency needs… Read more.

January 4, 2018 Researchers Quantify Factors For Reducing Power Semiconductor Resistance By Two-Thirds A research group in Japan announced that it has quantified for the first time the impacts of three electron-scattering mechanisms for determining the resistance of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices in power semiconductor modules… Read more.

January 2, 2018 On-Demand Webinar: Leveraging SiC Schottky Diodes for Industrial/Automotive Applications Learn how the SiC diode enables efficient power conversion and smaller and lower system costs in automotive, power supply, semicap and welding/heating equipment, medical, and aviation applications. Watch on-demand now.

December 13, 2017 In the News: Panelists Call For Better Training In SiC And GaN Design The Power Electronics Industry Collaborative (PEIC) organised a special session on workforce challenges and opportunities facing the power electronics industry at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Expo (ECCE), held Oct. 1 – 5, 2017 in Cincinnati, OH. Six expert panelists from PEIC member companies and affiliates shared their collective vision for enhanced workforce development initiatives in power electronics. Read more.

December 12, 2017 In the News: Silicon Carbide: On the Road, Not Just on Trial Recently, Yole Développement released three reports related to the SiC wafer industry—RF Power Market and Technologies 2017: GaN, GaAs and LDMOS; Power SiC 2017: Materials, Devices, Modules and Applications; and Status of the Power Electronics Industry 2017. Read more.

December 8, 2017 On-Demand Webinar: A Cost-effective, Highly Efficient 3-Phase AC/DC Power System with Bi-directional Power Capability This Engineering360 webinar from Wolfspeed presents an optimized two-level, three-phase 20 kW hardware prototype PFC design using 1 kV SiC MOSFETs. The performance of this SiC-based AC/DC converter is then compared against similarly rated AC/DC converter topologies with primary emphasis on the Vienna rectifier using SJ MOSFETs. Watch on-demand now.

December 5, 2017 In the News: Solar Inverter Consolidation Will Continue: 'Prices Show No Sign of Stabilizing' "…Wide band-gap switching materials like silicon carbide and gallium nitride (could) provide cost-competitive alternatives in lower-voltage, high-performance applications over the next several years. Beyond that, however, 'there are few technology developments in the pipeline that will result in step-function price declines in the medium term…" Read more.

November 30, 2017 In the News: X-FAB, New Country Organics Unveil Combined $66M Lubbock Expansions, Investments X-FAB Texas is expanding its production of silicon carbide power devices, making it the world’s first 6-inch silicon carbide foundry, said CEO and President of X-FAB Texas Lloyd Whetzel. The upgrade will create 50 new jobs and a total value-added impact of $7.5 million, according to a news release from LEDA… Read more.

November 29, 2017 In the News: Electronics Demonstrate Operability in Simulated Venus Conditions Standard electronics used commercially and for planetary exploration are based on silicon semiconductors, which do not operate at Venus temperatures. A team at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been working to develop high temperature electronics based on silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors that can operate at Venus temperatures and above. Recently, the team demonstrated that a variety of the world's first moderately complex SiC-based microcircuits (tens or more of transistors) could withstand up to 4000 hours of operation at 500° C. Read more.

November 17, 2017 Online Book: Analysis and Simulation of Electrical and Computer Systems "Applications of SiC MOSFETs in AC-DC Converters Dedicated for Distributed Generation Systems" opening chapter includes an illustration of the particular features provided by the wide band gap devices, design parameters of the analyzed demonstrators where different types of SiC MOSFETs are considered, and the presentation of experimentally measured efficiency characteristics and current-voltage waveforms. Read more.

November 13, 2017 White Paper: The Effect of Inverter Failures on the Return on Investment of Solar Photovoltaic Systems This paper’s analysis of failure data shows that the short warranties and reliability concerns associated with solar PV inverters reduce the long-term ROI of residential solar PV systems by up to 10%. Methods to improve the reliability of PV inverters, such as selection of capacitors, inverter topology, and incorporating wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, are presented. Read more.

November 10, 2017 Technical Article: Exploding the Inverter Electric racing has introduced a whole new way of thinking about powertrains to many fans. While the battery and the motor may be relatively easy concepts to understand, what on earth is an inverter – and, more importantly, how can it deliver a competitive advantage? Current E sat down with Angus Lyon, head of powertrain at Mahindra Racing, to provide some clarity. Read more.

November 8, 2017 Application Note: Wolfspeed's "Analog Based 2.2 KW High Efficiency CCM Bridgeless Totem Pole PFC" Download this application note which discusses the use of the latest SiC MOSFETs in new, low-inductance packaging to design a PFC system. When combined with a DC/DC circuit, the system can achieve system-level efficiency suitable for the 80+ titanium standard. Designers of server and telecom power supplies will especially appreciate reaching 80+ titanium efficiency requirements with no additional cost or complexity. Download now.

November 2, 2017 In the News: Jayant Baliga's Quest to Make Silicon-Carbide Power Electronics Succeed When Jayant Baliga invented the insulated gate bipolar transistor in the 1970s—something for which he won the 2014 IEEE Medal of Honor—it went from prototype to commercial product in about a year and a half. His quest to make silicon carbide a key material for power electronics has taken decades longer… Read more.

October 30, 2017 Technical Article: Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs Enable Radical Improvements in Efficiency, Power Density and Cost for Three-Phase Industrial PFCs This article shows designers the improved performance versus cost tradeoff space enabled by 1,000 V SiC MOSFETs and a simple two-level, six-switch three-phase PFC topology. These devices promise to breathe new life into this well-understood simple topology and, with appropriate control systems, mitigate the conventional barriers to achieving high performance at increased switching frequencies with full bidirectional functionality. Read more.

October 27, 2017 In the News: Gallium Nitride Draws Interest for Power Electronics in Future Markets Gallium nitride, a III/V semiconductor eyed for its performance in high-voltage electronics, is gaining traction for markets pertaining to electric vehicles, continuous sensing and communication for autonomous cars, and military applications. Read more.

October 23, 2017 Technical Article: Impact of Ultra-Low On-Resistance SiC MOSFETs on Electric Vehicle Drive-Train Three market / technology forces are moving in concert to create an opportunity for SiC MOSFETs to be an enabling technology in the Battery powered Electric Vehicle (BEV). The pull of the developing traction-drive requirements for BEV drive-train, which can utilize SiC to cut inverter losses by ~78 % in the EPA drivecycle, can offer BEV designers increased range or reduced battery costs for the same range. Download now.

October 20, 2017 In the News: New Manufacturing Process for SiC Power Devices Opens Market to More Competition Researchers from North Carolina State University are rolling out a new manufacturing process and chip design for silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, which can be used to more efficiently regulate power in technologies that use electronics. The process - called PRESiCE - was developed with support from the PowerAmerica Institute funded by the Department of Energy to make it easier for companies to enter the SiC marketplace and develop new products. Read more.

October 16, 2017 White Paper: Ultra-Wide-Bandgap Aluminum Gallium Nitride Power Switching Devices This paper includes an overview of the properties of AlGaN that motivate its application to power switching, as well as an analysis of conduction and switching loss mechanisms as a function of AlGaN bandgap for various device types (PiN diodes, Schottky diodes, etc.) These results are then compared to similar metrics for SiC, GaN, and UWBG materials other than AlGaN. Read more.

October 12, 2017 New Series of DC/DC Converters for SiC and IGBT Applications from RECOM The RxxPxxyyD Series devices feature 6400 VDC isolation and <10 pF isolation capacitance and have been designed to fulfill the demanding requirements of high slew-rate SiC transistor drivers. Learn more.

October 9, 2017 Technical Article: Modeling of Wide Band Gap Devices for Accurate Simulation Creating accurate models for Wide Band Gap (WBG) power devices representing their complete behavior is vital to the system simulation for ensuring that the simulation results are highly accurate. Read more.

October 4, 2017 Technical Article: Wide-Bandgap Developments—What You Need To Know Advances in wide bandgap (WBG) power devices are enabling silicon-carbide (SiC) and gallium-nitride (GaN) devices that can operate at higher voltages and temperatures than conventional semiconductor devices. Also, they can switch at faster speeds with lower switching losses. New SiC and GaN solutions and developments are especially taking hold in three fields: data centers, wireless charging, and energy harvesting. Read more.

October 3, 2017 In the News: Funding for Illinois Researchers to Address Advancements in Power Conversion “…We’ve squeezed every drop of juice out of silicon in the industry,” says John Shen, one of the ARPA-E grant winners and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology on Chicago’s South Side. “So to move forward, to get a higher conversion efficiency, we’re looking into what we call wide bandgap semiconductor materials, the future generation of power semiconductor devices.” Read more.

September 29, 2017 In the News: Wolfspeed Develops All-SiC Power Modules for High Voltage Applications with Assistance from PowerAmerica With funding assistance from PowerAmerica, SiC device and power module company Wolfspeed has developed first-of-its-kind silicon carbide power modules for 3.3 kV and 10 kV applications. According to the company, this is the first SiC power module at these voltage levels to use exclusively the MOSFET built-in body diode as the anti-parallel rectifier. Read more.

September 25, 2017 Application Note: Design Recommendations for SiC MOSFETs SiC MOSFETs are coming into prominence in select power switching applications above ½ kV, especially in those that benefit from the high-speed capability of SiC MOSFETs. This application note focuses on optimization for speed to minimize switching losses and to get the full benefit of the devices. Download now.

September 22, 2017 White Paper: Predicting SiC MOSFET Behavior Under Hard-Switching, Soft-Switching and False Turn-On Conditions Transforming the device level advances of SiC technology (lower on-state losses, lower parasitic capacitances and potentially higher switching frequencies) into smaller and more efficient converters present numerous challenges. One of the challenges is understanding and optimizing the more rapid switching waveforms, including predicting and managing parasitic oscillations, switching losses and electromagnetic interference (EMI)… Read more.

September 18, 2017 September 20th Webinar: The Chips are on the Table, Now What? SiC Optimization from the Chip Up SiC MOSFETs and diodes are gaining market share in the power electronics industry. Many designs already utilize discrete SiC devices. However, the transition from discrete devices to higher power modules is not always easy. This Wolfspeed presentation, presented by IEEE GlobalSpec, focuses on the proper utilization of SiC devices in power modules and higher power applications. Learn more and register now.

September 14, 2017 In the News: UA, Cree Get Nearly $4 Million in Federal Funding to Improve Electric Power Devices The University of Arkansas and Cree Fayetteville will receive more than $4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop more efficient electric power converters. Read more.

September 11, 2017 Research Report: SiC Power Electronics for Variable Frequency Motor Drives Variations in manufacturing expertise, yields, and access to existing facilities currently have a greater impact on regional costs and manufacturing location decisions for SiC ingots, wafers, chips, and power modules than core country factors such as labor and electricity costs. Read more.

September 7, 2017 White Paper: Designing Robust Transistor Circuits with IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs This RECOM white paper goes beyond the usual transistor specification considerations and looks at the driver circuit as a significant contributor to the robustness of the final design. Learn more.

September 5, 2017 In the News: Following Failed Infineon Deal, Cree Plots Wolfspeed Factory Expansion CEO Chuck Swoboda told analysts increased demand from the electric vehicle and battery storage sectors “is quickly bringing silicon carbide to the mainstream” and putting major pressure on the business. Read more.

August 31, 2017 In the News: Microsemi Awarded Contract to Accelerate Adoption of Silicon Carbide Technology as New Member of PowerAmerica Company to develop state-of-the-art 1.7 kV and 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETS and diodes as part of PowerAmerica Institute's $70 million backing from the U.S. Department of Energy over five years. Read more.

August 28, 2017 White Paper: 15 kV SiC MOSFET: An Enabling Technology for Medium Voltage Solid State Transformers This paper reviews the characteristics of 15 kV SiC MOSFET and offers a comprehensive guideline of implementing this device in practical MV power conversion scenarios such as AC-DC, DC-DC and AC-AC in terms of topology selection, loss optimization and thermal management. Read more.

August 24, 2017 Technical Article: Impact of Ultra-Low On-Resistance SiC MOSFETs On Electric Vehicle Drive-Train Three market / technology forces are moving in concert to create an opportunity for SiC MOSFETs to be an enabling technology in the Battery powered Electric Vehicle (BEV). The pull of the developing traction-drive requirements for BEV drive-train, which can utilize SiC to cut inverter losses by ~78 % in the EPA drivecycle, can offer BEV designers increased range or reduced battery costs for the same range. Read more.

August 23, 2017 Application Note: Design Recommendations for SiC MOSFETs SiC MOSFETs are coming into prominence in select power switching applications above ½ kV, especially in those that benefit from the high-speed capability of SiC MOSFETs. This Microsemi application note focuses on optimization for speed to minimize switching losses and to get the full benefit of the devices. Read more.

August 18, 2017 In the News: Kettering University Researchers Developing Next Generation of EV Battery Chargers Kettering recently concluded its research with PowerAmerica, a public-private partnership between industry, the U.S. Department of Energy and academia, including 11 university partners. The goal of Power America is to accelerate the adoption of advanced semiconductor products made with Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) into a wide range of products. Read more.

August 16, 2017 In the News: Wolfspeed Reference Design for SiC MOSFETs Achieves 80+ Titanium Rating Wolfspeed recently developed a comprehensive reference design that demonstrates the implementation of a totem-pole PFC topology in a 2kW bridgeless power supply. At 230V redundant operation the reference design can easily exceed the 80+ Titanium standards. The design achieved actual results of 98.7% peak efficiency at half load and 98.55% efficiency at full load. Read more.

August 10, 2017 In the News: SiC and GaN vs. IGBTs: The Imminent Tug of War for Supremacy Automotive, industrial, and other applications that require smaller size, lighter weight, and more efficient operation are increasingly looking to SiC and GaN solutions. Read more.

August 7, 2017 In the News: ADI's Gate Drivers Enable Higher Switching Speeds Analog Devices Inc. has launched the ADuM4120 and ADuM4121 series of small form factor isolated gate drivers that are designed for power switch technologies, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which require higher switching speeds and system size constraints. Read more.

July 31, 2017 Now available: Surface-mount version of 1200 V, 75 mOhm MOSFET from Wolfspeed The new C3M0075120J is the surface-mount version of Wolfspeed’s 1200 V, 75 mOhm MOSFET C3M0075120K. Like the 4L-TO247, the surface-mount device includes a Kelvin-source pin to help minimize gate-ringing and reduce system losses. Learn more.

July 17, 2017 In the News: Compound Semiconductor Market Growing At Over 8 Percent CAGR Reports include a prediction that the SiC market will grow steadily at a CAGR of over 14 percent between 2017 and 2021, driven by the growing demand for power inverters for electric vehicles. Read more.

July 10, 2017 In the News: John Deere Successfully Demos SiC-Based Inverter in Heavy Duty Construction Vehicle Through PowerAmerica, John Deere has formed a collaboration with researchers from the Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop a 200 kW 1050 VDC silicon carbide-based inverter. The inverter will convert vehicle engine power into electrical power needed for hybrid motors in heavy duty construction vehicles. Read more.

July 7, 2017 Now Available from Microsemi: 1200 V Boost Chopper & Buck Chopper SiC MOSFET Power Modules The APT30SM120JCU2 (boost) and APT30SM120JCU3 (buck) are built with SiC MOSFETs and SiC Schottky diodes, and therefore combine the advantages of both, including low RDS(on), high-temperature performance, zero reverse recovery, zero forward recovery, temperature-independent switching behavior, and positive temperature coefficient on VF.

July 5, 2017 Webinar Now Available On-Demand Last week’s Wolfspeed webinar on achieving high-efficiency power supplies (80+ titanium) without increasing complexity or cost is now available on-demand. Highlights include: Learn how to enable server and telecom power supplies to reach 80+ titanium efficiency requirements with no additional cost or complexity Review a full reference design example of how to implement Totem pole PFC using SiC MOSFETs Understand the benefits of low-inductance discrete SiC MOSFET packaging and Kelvin-contact See the latest SiC MOSFETs with low conduction losses, switching losses and Qrr, enabling new, simplified power conversion topologies