5 March 2014

Cree launches first 50A SiC rectifiers

Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has launched the CPW5 Z-Rec high-power silicon-carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes - claimed to be the first commercially available family of 50 Amp SiC rectifiers.

Designed to deliver the cost reduction, high efficiency, system simplicity and improved reliability of SiC technology to high-power systems from 50kW to over 1MW, the new diodes address demanding applications including solar/PV inverters, industrial power supplies, induction heating, battery charging stations, wind turbine converters and traction inverters.

Developed to facilitate the direct matching of 50A diodes to 50A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) or insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), the CPW5 Schottky diodes reduce system complexity and cost by enabling the replacement of multiple low-voltage, low-current SiC Schottky diodes, or silicon PiN diodes, with a single CPW5 rectifier, says Cree. Additional cost savings can be achieved through reduced maximum voltage ratings and the elimination of snubber circuitry due to the diminished voltage overshoot during switching in silicon carbide.

“Cree’s CPW5 family of SiC Schottky diodes are a critical component in our high-performance power modules and power electronic systems,” comments Ty McNutt, director of business development at Arkansas Power Electronics International Inc (APEI) of Fayetteville, AR, USA, a developer of technology for power electronics systems. “The low forward voltage drop, fast switching speed and extended temperature capability allow us to push power density and efficiency across many applications, such as high-power motor drives and solar inverters.”

Cree says that the CPW5 diodes enable a new generation of high-current Si/SiC IGBT modules. Hybrid Si/SiC IGBT modules can deliver up to a 43% reduction in switching losses over conventional modules, while also reducing voltage- and current-overshoot, switching dead time and cooling requirements. As an added benefit, design engineers can use the same gate driver design and circuits used with conventional modules, allowing easy and immediate implementation, says the firm. The CPW5 diodes also provide a peak forward surge resistance greater than 500A repetitive and 2000A non-repetitive, delivering increased reliability under the harshest electrical conditions.

“As the sole distributor of Cree SiC-based power products in wafer and die form, SemiDice is excited to offer the CPW5 family of Z-Rec Schottky diodes,” says Dan Cormack, CEO of SemiDice Inc. “We are seeing increased customer demand for 50 Amp Schottky diodes,” he adds.

The CPW5 family of Z-Rec Schottky diodes includes 1700V/50A, 1200V/50A, 650V/50A and 650V/30A combinations. The new CPW5 diodes are available immediately in bare die form from SemiDice.

See related items:

Cree begins volume production of second generation SiC MOSFET

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