To meet these requirements, Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the expansion of its silicon carbide portfolio with a family of unpackaged, discrete, high-efficiency, high-reliability 1700V silicon carbide MOSFET power modules

Microchip's 1700V silicon carbide technology is an alternative to silicon IGBTs. Previous technology required designers to compromise on performance and use complex topologies due to switching frequency limitations caused by losses in silicon IGBTs. Furthermore, the size and weight of power electronic systems are increased by transformers, which can only be reduced in size by increasing the switching frequency.

The new family of silicon carbide products allows engineers to take their IGBTs to the next level by using two-level topologies with fewer components, significantly higher efficiency, and simpler control techniques. With no switching limitations, it's possible to significantly reduce the size and weight of power conversion units, freeing up space for more charging stations, passenger and freight capacity, or to increase the range and operating time of heavy-duty vehicles, electric buses, and other battery-powered commercial vehicles—all at a lower total system cost.

“System developers in the transportation segment are continually being required to make vehicles that can accommodate more people and goods, but their dimensions cannot be any larger,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete products business unit.

“One of the best ways to help achieve this is through huge reductions in the size and weight of power conversion equipment that uses high-voltage silicon carbide power devices. These same advantages for transportation are beneficial for many other industrial applications.”.

Among its key features is the stability of the gate oxide, as Microchip observed no changes in the threshold voltage even after 100,000 pulses in repetitive non-blocking inductive switching (R-UIS) tests. The R-UIS tests also demonstrated excellent avalanche resistance and parametric stability, as well as gate oxide stability and reliable operation throughout the system's lifetime.

The degradation-free structural diode can eliminate the need for an external diode with silicon carbide MOSFETs. Thanks to its short-circuit withstand capability, comparable to that of IGBTs, it can overcome dangerous electrical transients. A flatter RDS(on) curve with respect to junction temperature between 0 and 175 °C allows the power system to operate with significantly greater stability than other silicon carbide MOSFETs, which are more sensitive to temperature.

Microchip facilitates the adoption of its technology with a family of programmable digital gate drivers^{AgileSwitch®} and a wide range of discrete packages and power modules available in standard and customizable formats. These gate drivers help accelerate silicon carbide development from the lab to production.

Microchip's other silicon carbide products include 700V and 1200V families of MOSFETs and Schottky barrier diodes, supplied unpackaged as well as in various discrete packages and power modules. Microchip is unifying its in-house production of unpackaged silicon carbide devices with low-inductance power packages and programmable digital gate drivers, enabling designers to achieve the most efficient, compact, and reliable end products.

Among the company's solutions available as complete systems is also a whole catalog of microcontrollers, analog circuits and peripherals, communication technology, wireless networks and security.

Development tools

Microchip's ^MPLAB® Mindi ^™ analog simulator, compatible with the SPICE silicon carbide simulation models, provides system developers with the resources needed to simulate switching characteristics before beginning hardware design. The Intelligent Configuration Tool (ICT) enables designers to develop efficient silicon carbide gate driver models for Microchip's AgileSwitch® family of programmable digital gate ^drivers .

Availability

Microchip's unpackaged, discrete 1700V silicon carbide MOSFETs and power modules are now available for order in various packages.

For more information on pricing or other matters, contact a Microchip sales representative or an authorized distributor, or visit the company website. To purchase the products mentioned, contact an authorized Microchip distributor.