Here comes the Toshiba launces 2200 V Sic MOSFET to streamline inverter system. The silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET is designed to revolutionize inverters and energy storage systems. This breakthrough device by Toshiba will assist inverter manufacturers reduce size n weight of their products.

According to the company, the newly developed MOSFET has the potential to greatly assist inverter manufacturers by allowing them to significantly decrease the dimensions and weight of their products. Operating at higher frequencies allows for the downsizing and reduction in weight of other components in the system, such as heat sinks and filters.

The newly developed metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) uses silicon carbide (SiC). It is designed for use in solar inverters and battery storage systems. It includes a 2,200 V Schottky barrier diode (SBD) and is designed for use in 1,500 V (DC) voltage systems with two-level inverters. According to the company, two-level devices have fewer switching modules compared to three-level inverters. This leads to the creation of smaller and lighter systems.

According to reports, the SiC modules are known for their ability to operate with minimal conduction loss and low drain-source on-voltage. The turn-on and turn-off switching losses of 14mJ and 11mJ, respectively, are also lower. They purportedly have low stray inductance, low thermal resistance, and a built-in thermistor.

The advantage of three-level inverters lies in their ability to minimize switching losses. This is achieved by applying a voltage to the switching devices that is half the line voltage when in the off state.

In contrast, two-level inverters offer a simplified, compact, and lightweight system by having fewer switching modules than three-level inverters. They need semiconductors with higher breakdown voltage because the applied voltage is the same as the line voltage. The demand for semiconductors that have low loss and high breakdown voltage is increasing. This is due to the introduction of 1500 V DC line voltage systems in photovoltaic and other renewable energy markets.

The makers optimized the impurity concentration and thickness of the drift layer to ensure:

  • On-resistance and breakdown voltage maintain the same relationship as our current products.
  • Additionally, it is specifically designed to offer high resistance to cosmic rays, which is a crucial requirement for PV systems.
  • It has been confirmed that the inclusion of SBDs with clamped parasitic PN junctions between the p-base regions and the n-drift layer ensures superior reliability during reverse conduction.

The energy loss in the developed all-SiC module is much lower than in the Si module (consisting of Si IGBTs and Si fast recovery diodes) with the same 2000 V rating. The estimated power dissipation of the inverter reveals that the newly developed SiC module enables double the frequency operation compared to a conventional Si IGBT. Not only that, but the two-level SiC inverter also boasts a remarkable 38% reduction in losses compared to the three-level Si inverter.

Source: Toshiba’s Newly Developed 2200 V SiC MOSFETs

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Elliot is a passionate environmentalist and blogger who has dedicated his life to spreading awareness about conservation, green energy, and renewable energy. With a background in environmental science, he has a deep understanding of the issues facing our planet and is committed to educating others on how they can make a difference.

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