THE GLOBAL DRIVE to trim carbon emissions and reach climate neutrality is rapidly transforming electricity supply and grid infrastructure. Critical to succeeding in this endeavour is the introduction of a new generation of power devices, delivering higher efficiencies at reduced costs, through a smart combination of reduced epitaxial layer thickness and a smaller form factor.
One promising route towards this goal is DC distribution, well matched to renewable sources and modern loads, such as solar arrays and battery systems, which already operate in DC. But
the power electronics market still lacks low-cost, compact, high-performance DC-to-DC converters that are capable of handling voltages from below 1.5 kV to well over 10 kV.
Aiming to close that gap with a commercial-grade DC-to-DC converter featuring a medium-voltage stage based on ultra-high-voltage SiC IGBTs is our Horizon Europe-funded project entitled Future Oriented Renewable and Reliable Energy SiC Solutions (FOR2ENSICS). By turning from series-connected medium voltage (1.2 kV – 6.5 kV) SiC MOSFETs or silicon IGBTs to ultra-high- voltage SiC IGBTs, we promise to unleash a number of key benefits, including lower conduction losses, simpler drive requirements, a smaller footprint and reduced costs. However, delivering such technology demands coordinated expertise in device fabrication, passivation, packaging and converter assembly – goals realised by a joint effort, drawing on a broad range of expertise from industry and academia.
SiC IGBT technology
Silicon-based IGBTs have long been a mainstay in traction, industrial, automotive and high-voltage DC systems, typically operating from 900 V to 6.5 kV. Their bipolar conduction helps overcome
MOSFET limitations, improving the trade-off between the static voltage drop and turn-off losses.
With the arrival of 4H-SiC unipolar devices in the 1.2 kV -3.3 kV range, silicon IGBTs – still extremely Driving the electric revolution with SiC IGBTs FOR2ENSICS, an EU-funded initiative, is
targeting the simplification of medium-voltage DC converters with ultra-high-voltage SiC IGBTs.
