15 Sep 2020

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announces its coming launch of second-generation full-SiC (Silicon Carbide) power modules featuring a newly developed SiC chip for industrial use.

The low power loss characteristics and high carrier frequency operation of the SiC-MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) and SiC-SBD (Schottky Barrier Diode) chips in the modules are expected to facilitate the development of more efficient, smaller, and lighter-weight power equipment in various industrial fields. Sales will start in January 2021.

External protection circuit

Product features of full-SiC power modules are as follows:

  • Will facilitate more power-efficient, smaller, and lighter industrial equipment.
    • Junction field-effect transistor (JFET) doping technology reduces on-resistance by about 15% compared to that of conventional SiC products.
    • Reducing mirror capacitance4 enables fast switching and reduces switching loss.
    • Built-in SiC-MOSFET and SiC-SBD help to reduce power loss by approximately 70% compared to that of Mitsubishi Electric's conventional Si-IGBT modules.
    • Power loss reduction and high carrier frequency operation will facilitate the development of smaller and lighter external components, such as reactors and coolers.
  • Real-time control (RTC) circuit balances short-circuit performance and low on-resistance.
    • Safe short-circuit performance and low on-resistance characteristics achieved with the RTC circuit to block excessive current during short circuits.
    • In the event of a short circuit, safely blocks excessive current from an external protection circuit by monitoring short-circuit detection signal.
    • Except FMF400BX-24B and FMF800DX-24B models.
  • Optimized internal chip layout for improved heat dissipation.
    • Decentralized and optimized placement of SiC-MOSFET and SiC-SBD chips inside modules help to improve heat dissipation, thereby allowing the use of smaller, or fanless, coolers.