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SiC module will lead to smaller, more efficient industrial kit
Mitsubishi Electric has announced a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor module for industrial applications that it says will result in smaller, more efficient and lighter industrial equipment.
The new FMF600DXE-34BN module, which is shipping immediately, reduces internal inductance and incorporates a second-generation SiC chip. It has a current rating of 600A and a voltage rating of 1.7kV. It has an isolation voltage of 4kVrms and can replace earlier NX-type modules directly.
There is a growing demand for high-power, high-efficiency power semiconductors capable of improving the power-conversion efficiency of technologies such as inverters used in industrial equipment. Expectations are high for SiC power semiconductors because of their ability to reduce power losses significantly.
Mitsubishi Electric started to release power semiconductor modules equipped with SiC chips in 2010. The new module, which contains a low-loss SiC chip and an optimised electrode structure with laminated electrodes, reduces internal inductance by 47% compared to Mitsubishi’s earlier silicon-based 1.7kV/600A NX-type IGBT modules.
The lower internal inductance of 9nH will suppress voltage surges to protect equipment, allowing fast switching, while also cutting switching and power losses.
The second-generation SiC chip incorporates a JFET (junction field-effect transistor) doping technology to reduce power losses by around 72% over previous modules. These lower losses will, in turn, help to reduce heat generation, allowing use of smaller and lighter cooling systems.
Despite the inclusion of the SiC chip, the new module has the same external dimensions and pin configurations as earlier NX-type modules, making replacements easy, and helping to speed up the design of new equipment.
Development of the new SiC module has been partially supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (Nedo).
Mitsubishi says it plans to expand its line-up of power semiconductor modules to contribute further to more efficient, smaller and lighter industrial equipment.
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