2 August 2018

Wolfspeed’s E-Series first family of SiC MOSFETs and diodes to meet automotive AEC-Q101 standards

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Wolfspeed of Durham, NC, USA — a Cree Company that makes silicon carbide (SiC) power products and GaN-on-SiC high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) — has launched the E-Series, a new family of robust SiC semiconductor devices for the electric vehicle (EV) and renewable energy markets that delivers what is claimed to be the highest available power density and durability for on-board automotive power conversion systems, off-board charging, solar inverters and other outdoor applications.

The E-Series family is the first commercial family of SiC MOSFETs and diodes to be automotive AEC-Q101 qualified and PPAP (production part approval rocess) capable. The designation makes it the only commercially available family of SiC MOSFETs and diodes that meets high-humidity and automotive qualifications to deliver reliable and corrosion-resistant components in the power market.

“The new E-Series family provides automotive manufacturers with robust, automotive-qualified MOSFETs and diodes for on-board and off-board charging circuits, which are crucial to the evolution of EV technology,” says Wolfspeed’s senior VP & general manager Cengiz Balkas. “The commercial rollout of the E-Series family establishes Wolfspeed as the first in the industry to launch a full suite of MOSFETs and diodes that are capable of withstanding high-humidity environments while offering the reliability and system-level value needed to drive widespread adoption of silicon carbide among automakers for their next generation of EVs,” he adds.

Wolfspeed says that, with the new automotive-qualified SiC MOSFET, it becomes the first silicon carbide semiconductor maker to offer a complete family of qualified parts to the EV market. The portfolio expansion also enables it to supply power conversion components within an EV for an end-to-end solution. Specifically:

• The E-Series SiC MOSFET is the only automotive AEC-Q101-qualified, PPAP-capable and humidity-resistant MOSFET available. It features Wolfspeed’s third-generation rugged planar technology, which has more than 10 billion field hours. Offering what are claimed to be the lowest switching losses and highest figure of merit, the E-Series 900V MOSFET is optimized for use in EV battery chargers and high-voltage DC/DC converters and is featured in Wolfspeed’s 6.6kW B-Directional On-Board Charger reference design.
• The E-Series Merged-PIN Schottky Diodes (MPS) deliver high reliability for on-board power conversion systems and solar inverters, complementing Wolfspeed’s existing AEC-Q101-qualified 650V SiC diode portfolio. The diodes deliver a 1200V blocking capability with a current rating up to 20A at a TJ,Max = 175⁰C. Reference designs for the E-Series diodes are available, including Wolfspeed’s 20kW Two-Level AFE and DC/DC Converter for Off-Board Chargers, which delivers more than 30% reduction in power loss compared with existing three-level Vienna rectifiers.

The E-Series family also addresses the key challenge in designing and maintaining solar power systems: finding products that can withstand extremely harsh environmental conditions while maintaining peak performance. Since corrosion caused by humidity is a major consideration when designing outdoor power systems, the key qualification for harsh environments is the HV-H3TRB rating (also known as HVDC THB or THB80). The HV-H3TRB qualification testing was performed at 80% of the rated blocking voltage in an environmental chamber at a constant 85⁰C ambient with 85% relative humidity. Both the E-Series MOSFETs and diodes are HV-H3TRB rated, so they are optimized for use in solar inverters and other outdoor systems as well as EVs.

See related items:

Wolfspeed’s new third-generation 1200V MOSFET extends SiC-based power conversion into EV drivetrains

Tags: Wolfspeed Cree SiC MOSFET SiC Schottky barrier diodes

Visit: www.wolfspeed.com/power/products