Wide bandgap (WBG) device-based power electronics converters are more efficient and lightweight than silicon-based converters. WBG devices are an enabling technology for many motor drive applications and new classes of compact and efficient motors. This paper reviews the potential applications and advances enabled by WBG devices in ac motor drives. Industrial motor drive products using WBG devices are reviewed, and the benefits are highlighted. This paper also discusses the technical challenges, converter design considerations, and design tradeoffs in realizing the full potential of WBG devices in motor drives. There is a tradeoff between high switching frequency and other issues such as high dv/dt and electromagnetic interference. The problems of high common mode currents and bearing and insulation damage, which are caused by high dv/dt , and the reliability of WBG devices are discussed.

Wide Bandgap Devices in AC Electric Drives: Opportunities and Challenges

Power module packaging technologies have been experiencing extensive changes as the novel silicon carbide (SiC) power devices with superior performance become commercially available. This article presents an overview of power module packaging technologies in this transition, with an emphasis on the challenges that current standard packaging face, requirements that future power module packaging needs to fulfill, and recent advances on packaging technologies. The standard power module structure, which is a widely used current practice to package SiC devices, is reviewed, and the reasons why novel packaging technologies should be developed are described in this article. The packaging challenges associated with high-speed switching, thermal management, high-temperature operation, and high-voltage isolation are explained in detail. Recent advances on technologies, which try to address the limitations of standard packaging, both in packaging elements and package structure are summarized. The trend toward novel soft-switching power converters gave rise to problems regarding package designs of unconventional module configuration. Potential applications areas, such as aerospace applications, introduce low-temperature challenges to SiC packaging. Key issues in these emerging areas are highlighted.

A Review of SiC Power Module Packaging Technologies: Challenges, Advances, and Emerging Issues

The transition to electric road transport technologies requires electric traction drive systems to offer improved performances and capabilities, such as fuel efficiency (in terms of MPGe, i.e., miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent), extended range, and fast-charging options. The enhanced electrification and transformed mobility are translating to a demand for higher power and more efficient electric traction drive systems that lead to better fuel economy for a given battery charge. To accelerate the mass-market adoption of electrified transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in collaboration with the automotive industry, has announced the technical targets for light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) for 2025. This article discusses the electric drive technology trends for passenger electric and hybrid EVs with commercially available solutions in terms of materials, electric machine and inverter designs, maximum speed, component cooling, power density, and performance. The emerging materials and technologies for power electronics and electric motors are presented, identifying the challenges and opportunities for even more aggressive designs to meet the need for next-generation EVs. Some innovative drive and motor designs with the potential to meet the DOE 2025 targets are also discussed.

Electric Drive Technology Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for Future Electric Vehicles

Power semiconductor devices constitute the heart of modern power electronic apparatus. They are used in power electronic converters in the form of a matrix of on-off switches, and help to convert power from ac-to-dc (rectifier), dc-to-dc (chopper), dc-to-ac (inverter), and ac-to-ac at the same (ac controller) or different frequencies (cycloconverter). The switching mode power conversion gives high efficiency, but the disadvantage is that due to the nonlinearity of switches, harmonics are generated at both the supply and load sides. The switches are not ideal, and they have conduction and turn-on and turn-off switching losses. Converters are widely used in applications such as heating and lighting controls, ac and dc power supplies, electrochemical processes, dc and ac motor drives, static VAR generation, active harmonic filtering, etc. Although the cost of power semiconductor devices in power electronic equipment may hardly exceed 20–30 percent, the total equipment cost and performance may be highly influenced by the characteristics of the devices. An engineer designing equipment must understand the devices and their characteristics thoroughly in order to design efficient, reliable, and cost-effective systems with optimum performance. It is interesting to note that the modern technology evolution in power electronics has generally followed the evolution of power semiconductor devices. The advancement of microelectronics has greatly contributed to the knowledge of power device materials, processing, fabrication, packaging, modeling, and simulation. Today’s power semiconductor devices are almost exclusively based on silicon material and can be classified as follows:

/pdf/power-semiconductor-devices-4pe39n3k1o.pdf

Power Semiconductor Devices

Summary Global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity are three of the greatest problems facing humanity. To address these problems, we develop Green New Deal energy roadmaps for 143 countries. The roadmaps call for a 100% transition of all-purpose business-as-usual (BAU) energy to wind-water-solar (WWS) energy, efficiency, and storage by 2050 with at least 80% by 2030. Our studies on grid stability find that the countries, grouped into 24 regions, can match demand exactly from 2050 to 2052 with 100% WWS supply and storage. We also derive new cost metrics. Worldwide, WWS energy reduces end-use energy by 57.1%, aggregate private energy costs from $17.7 to $6.8 trillion/year (61%), and aggregate social (private plus health plus climate) costs from $76.1 to $6.8 trillion/year (91%) at a present value capital cost of ∼$73 trillion. WWS energy creates 28.6 million more long-term, full-time jobs than BAU energy and needs only ∼0.17% and ∼0.48% of land for new footprint and spacing, respectively. Thus, WWS requires less energy, costs less, and creates more jobs than does BAU.

Impacts of Green New Deal Energy Plans on Grid Stability, Costs, Jobs, Health, and Climate in 143 Countries

The short circuit (SC-SOA) capability of power devices is crucial for power systems. In this paper, 1.2 kV SiC MOSFETs and JBSFETs are characterized, and their SC-SOA behavior was tested and analyzed. Due to the lower saturated drain current, the JBSFETs were found to have superior SC-SOA compared with MOSFETs despite the integrated Schottky contact. A new short circuit failure mechanism related to melting of the top Al metallization is proposed based up on non-isothermal TCAD numerical simulations supported with SEM measurements of failed die using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.

New Short Circuit Failure Mechanism for 1.2kV 4H-SiC MOSFETs and JBSFETs

The CREE 1200V/50A, 25mΩ 6-Pack SiC MOSFET module (CCS050M12CM2) is decomposed into a full 3D CAD model, and materials identified, for use in electrical circuit and multi-physics simulations. A reverse engineering technique is first developed, outlined, and then demonstrated on the CREE module. The ANSYS Q3D Extractor is applied to the 3D CAD model where electrical, lumped parameter, parasitic circuit elements are determined. The model is also analyzed with a multi-physics simulator to provide in-situ thermal maps of the baseplate surface for application scenarios, e.g. with a thermal interface material and pin fin heat sink to capture the thermal spreading from junction to case. The complete model is made open source and freely distributed for use by the reader.

https://works.bepress.com/kang-peng/10/download/

Decomposition and electro-physical model creation of the CREE 1200V, 50A 3-Ph SiC module

This paper provides a methodology for overall system level design of a high-power density inverter to be used for EV/HEV traction drive applications. The system design is guided to accommodate off-the-shelf SiC power modules in a planar architecture that ensures proper electrical, thermal, and mechanical performances. Bi-directional interleaved DC-DC boost structure and a three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) have been utilized with the primary focus on the size, weight and loss reduction of passive components. A stacked layer approach has been used for a unique PCB-based busbar, ultra-low profile gate driver, and controller board. This holistic design approach results in a highly compact traction drive inverter with power density of 12.1 kW/L that has lower volume and weight compared to the commercially available state-of-the-art power converter systems.

Design methodology for a planarized high power density EV/HEV traction drive using SiC power modules

A new 6.0kV/100A Super Cascode Power Module (SCPM) topology is proposed using dual serial strings of six SiC-JFETs with a common balancing circuit, and extendable to 8.0kV/200A for high-frequency, medium-voltage applications. Electrical and multi-physics simulations show improvements in dynamic response, and improved electro-thermal performance that exceed state-of-the-art Si-IGBT power module technology. The SCPM is fabricated and tested. Results are reported showing 47.8mΩ dynamic response, and ≤50ns rise and fall in current at 4kV for 110A switching from double-pulse testing (DPT).

6.0kV, 100A, 175kHz super cascode power module for medium voltage, high power applications

This paper demonstrates various electrical and package design considerations in series connecting a high-voltage (HV) silicon (Si)-IGBT (6500-V/25-A die) and a silicon carbide-junction barrier Schottky diode (6500-V/25-A die) to form an HV current switch. The effects of connecting the cathode of the series diode to an IGBT collector, versus connecting the IGBT emitter to the anode of the series diode, are analyzed in regards to minimizing the parasitic inductance. An optimized package structure is discussed and an HV current switch module is custom fabricated in the laboratory. An HV double pulse test circuit is used to verify the switching performance of the current switch module. Low-voltage and HV converter prototypes are developed and tested to ensure thermal stability of the same. The main motivation of this paper is to enumerate detailed design considerations for packaging an HV current switch.

Adam Morgan

Papers

New Short Circuit Failure Mechanism for 1.2kV 4H-SiC MOSFETs and JBSFETs

Decomposition and electro-physical model creation of the CREE 1200V, 50A 3-Ph SiC module

Design methodology for a planarized high power density EV/HEV traction drive using SiC power modules

6.0kV, 100A, 175kHz super cascode power module for medium voltage, high power applications

Design, Package, and Hardware Verification of a High-Voltage Current Switch