- Infineon Technology introduces the CoolSiC automotive MOSFET technology for high-efficiency and better switching frequency
- Offers reliability and robustness while designing high-voltage EV applications
Silicon carbide (SiC) in electric vehicles brings more efficiency, higher power density and performance. For 800 V battery system and large battery capacity, silicon carbide leads to higher efficiency in inverters and thus enables longer ranges or lower battery costs. Infineon Technologies’ EasyPACK module with CoolSiC automotive MOSFET technology, a 1200 V half-bridge module with an 8 mΩ/150 A current rating achieves exactly that.
With the introduction of the CoolSiC automotive MOSFET technology into the EasyPACK and full automotive qualification, Infineon aims to expand the range of applications for the module family to include high-voltage applications in electric cars with high efficiency and switching frequency requirements. These include HV/HV-DC-DC step-up converters, multi-phase inverters and fast-switching auxiliary drives such as compressors for fuel cells.
Provides enhanced performance
The new module is based on Infineon’s silicon carbide trench MOSFET structure. Compared to planar structures, the trench structure enables a higher cell density. As a result, trench MOSFETs can be operated at lower gate-oxide field strengths for higher reliability.
First-generation CoolSiC automotive MOSFET technology is optimised for use in traction inverters, with a focus on obtaining the lowest possible conduction losses, especially under partial load conditions. Combined with the low switching losses of silicon carbide MOSFETs, this enables losses in inverter operation to be reduced by around 60 per cent compared to silicon IGBTs.
In addition to optimised performance, reliability in terms of achieving high short-circuit, cosmic ray and gate-oxide robustness is important for designing efficient high-voltage applications in electric cars.
The new CoolSiC automotive MOSFET power module is fully qualified to the AQG324 standard.
Mass production of the EasyPACK CoolSiC Automotive MOSFET module FF08MR12W1MA1_B11A has started and will be available for distribution in September 2020.
