STMicroelectronics introduces its third generation of silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFETs1, advancing the state-of-the-art in power devices for electric-vehicle (EV) powertrains and other applications where power density, energy efficiency, and reliability are important target criteria.
ST said it has incorporated new and advanced design know-how to open up even more of SiC’s energy-saving potential. The effort continues to drive the transformation of the EV and industrial markets. With the acceleration of the EV market many car makers and automotive suppliers are now embracing 800V drive systems to achieve much faster charging and help reduce EV weight. These new systems allow the car makers to produce vehicles with longer driving ranges, the company said.
The new SiC devices are specifically optimised for these high-end automotive applications including EV traction inverters, on-board chargers, and DC/DC converters, as well as e-climate compressors. The new generation is also said to suits industrial applications by boosting the efficiency of motor drives, renewable-energy converters and storage systems, telecom and data-center power supplies.
ST has completed qualification of the third-generation SiC technology platform and expects to move most of the derivative products to commercial maturity by the end of 2021. Devices with nominal voltage ratings from 650V and 750V up to 1200V will be available, giving more choices for designers to address applications operating from ordinary AC-line voltages up to those of high-voltage EV batteries and chargers.
SiC MOSFETs also have a higher voltage rating in relation to their die size, compared to silicon alternatives, making the technology an excellent choice for EV applications and fast-charging EV infrastructures.
Moreover, their very high frequency capability allows smaller passive components within power systems, which permit more compact and lightweight electrical equipment in the vehicle.
ST said it will offer the third-generation devices in various forms, including bare dice, discrete power packages such as STPAK, H2PAK-7L, HiP247-4L, and HU3PAK and power modules of the ACEPACK family. The packages offer innovative design features such as specially placed cooling tabs that simplify connection to base-plates and heat spreaders in EV applications.
The options give designers choices that are optimised for applications such as EV main traction inverters, on-board chargers (OBCs), DC/DC converters, e-climate compressors, and industrial applications such as solar inverters, energy storage systems, motor drives and power supplies.
