Silicon Carbide Power Devices for Use in Hybrid-EV

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is an emerging semiconductor material which has been widely predicted to be superior to both Si and GaAs in the area of power electronic switching devices [1]. This paper updates the reader on selected SiC power devices (including the MOS Turn-Off Thyristor (MTO™)) for use in rugged, high power, 500°C operation which will result in significant reduction of cooling requirements. Highlights of progress achieved to date includes 1.0 kV GTO's, 1.4 kV MOSFET's, and 1.6 kV pn junction diodes, all achieved with blocking layers of 10 to 12 μm, a small fraction of the blocking layer thickness required in comparable silicon devices. These and other advantages allow SiC to offer significant numerous system-level advantages (for example, More Electric Tank - Fig. 1).