Advanced SiC Power Modules Deliver High Current Density to Industrial, EV Systems
The third-generation series of QSiC MOSFET modules from SemiQ Inc. offer current capabilities of up to 608 A and a junction-to-case thermal resistance of just 0.07ºC/W to address the growing demand for ultra-efficient conversion in high-power systems.
The initial offering of seven devices includes a high-current S3 half-bridge, B2T1 six-pack, and B3 full-bridge modules. They’re able to dramatically increase performance, reduce cooling complexity, and cut switching losses for the next wave of EV chargers, energy storage systems, and industrial motor drives. The seven products initially released include:
- Six-pack modules that integrate the three-phase power stage into a compact housing and have an on-resistance (RDS(on)) range of 19.5 to 82 mΩ. They’re designed to optimize layout and minimize parasitics in motor drives and advanced AC-DC converters.
- Full-bridge modules that deliver high current capabilities of up to 120 A and an ultra-low RDS(on) down to 8.6 mΩ. This combination, coupled with a low thermal resistance of 0.28°C/W, maximizes power density and efficiency in single-phase inverters and high-voltage DC-DC systems.
Modules using these third-generation chips operate at lower gate voltages than previous generations due the 18-V/−4.5-V gate voltage of the third-generation chips. SemiQ’s Gen3 technology reduces both specific on-resistance (RONsp) and turn-off energy losses (EOFF) by up to 30% versus previous generations.
All parts are screened using wafer-level gate-oxide burn-in tests to guarantee the gate-oxide quality. They’re also breakdown-voltage tested to over 1,350 V.
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About the Author
Lee Goldberg
Contributing Editor
Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.
Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.
Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.
Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.
Lee also writes the regular PowerBites series.