IGBT-SiC chip cuts inverter costs
![](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2021/05/Infineon-1024x840.jpg)
Infineon has launched a 650 V hybrid silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon transistor for inverter designs (writes Nick Flaherty).
The CoolSiC Hybrid Discrete for Automotive combines a 50 A fast switching IGBT and a CoolSiC Schottky diode to reduce the cost compared to a pure SiC part but provide the high reliability needed in hard-switching bidirectional inverter designs and onboard chargers (OBCs).
he IGBT enables MOSFET-like turnoff behaviour, outperforming pure silicon architectures as a drop-in replacement with existing silicon driver control chips. This achieves 95-97% system efficiency compared with 99% for an SiC design but at a lower system cost.
Using the SiC diode cuts power losses by 30% and a maximum junction temperature of 175 C in a hard-switching design, leading to lower cooling requirements.
Shenzhen VMAXPower, in China, is using the hybrid device in its next generation OBC/DC-DC system.
“The CoolSiC Hybrid Discrete allows us to simplify driver design, accelerate product development, lower costs and increase system robustness,” said Xu Jinzhu, director of r&d at VMAX.
“The integrated SiC diodes further optimise the EMC characteristics of the system. This results in greater performance benefits and a better price performance ratio in topologies such as totem-pole PFC and DAB.”
ONLINE PARTNERS
![John Deere](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2021/05/John-Deere.png)
![Henkel](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2022/07/Henkel-logo-002.png)
![Parker Lord](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2023/08/Lord-Sub-Brand-Color-Logo.png)
![The Chemours Company](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2023/11/Chemours_H_1C-002-1.png)
![Dewesoft](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2024/01/DWS-Logo_Vertical_Dark.png)
![Curtis Instruments](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2024/02/Curtis_Horz_wTag.png)
![Informa (Battery Show)](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2024/04/logo.png)
![Herrmann Ultraschall](https://www.emobility-engineering.com/content/uploads/2024/04/Herrmann-ultrasonics.png)