Prevent System Damage and Failure in High-Speed Power Semiconductors Important in Electric Vehicles
This technique and apparatus can cancel the intrinsic Miller capacitance of MOSFETs, especially SiC MOSFETs, which results in significantly increased switching speed, significantly reduced crosstalk effect, significantly reduced switching power loss, and significantly reduced thermal stress. This can significantly improve SiC MOSFET performance, significantly reduce the failure rate, significantly improve reliability, and significantly increase power density. High-speed power semiconductors are important components of high-speed power modules in electric and hybrid vehicles aviation power electronics systems, renewable energy conversions, traction power electronics, and various mid- or high-power electronics applications, but are susceptible to damage and failure as a result of the crosstalk effect, higher thermal stress, and false triggering. Electric vehicle sales continue increasing and should account for 7 percent of the global vehicle fleet by 2030. Furthermore, renewable energy, traction power electronics, and other mid and high-power applications widely employ SiC MOSFETs in the next 5-10 years. As a result, SiC MOSFETs should have a $7.1 billion market share of power semiconductor devices and a CAGR of 16.1% by 2027.
By eliminating the crosstalk effect, increasing switching speed, and reducing switching power loss, for the mid- and high-power modules in electric vehicles and all other power electronics applications mentioned above, SiC MOSFETs can become more reliable and operate at higher frequencies for smaller size, lower cost, and lower weight. However, power module designers have attempted to eliminate the damaging factors with limited success in the past.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a method and apparatus to counteract the barriers by canceling Miller capacitance, eliminating the crosstalk effect, increasing switching speed, and reducing switching power loss of SiC MOSFETs. This allows for greater reliability, smaller thermal stress, and the ability to operate high-speed power modules at higher frequencies with smaller volumes.
Application
Eliminates the crosstalk effect, increases the switching speed, and reduces the switching power loss in high-speed SiC power semiconductors important in electric and hybrid vehicles, more electric aircraft, renewable energy conversions, traction power electronics, and other mid- or high-power electronics applications
Advantages
- Counteracts the crosstalk effect in high-speed power semiconductors, minimizing the risk of system damage and failure
- Prevents false voltage spikes and triggering, increasing overall system reliability
- Significantly increases switching speed and allows high-speed SiC power modules to operate at higher frequencies with smaller volumes
- Significantly reduces switching power loss and allows the SiC power module to operate at lower temperatures and use a smaller heatsink
- The system has smaller volume, lower weight, and lower cost
- The power modules have higher reliability and longer lifetime
Technology
Counteracts the Miller effects by injecting a cancellation current, which has the same magnitude but inverse direction to the Miller current, to the gate of the SiC power modules. This negates the Miller effect and Miller plateau.
Brochure
