Extreme high efficiency enabled by silicon carbide (SiC) power devices

Abstract

Efficient renewable electricity generation, conversion, and delivery are vital for addressing the pressing need to limit global temperature rise to below 2 °C by 2050. The electrification of various industries is equally imperative. Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductors represent a transformative technology, akin to Lithium-ion batteries, in achieving these objectives. With the swift commercialization of SiC power devices, ranging from 600V to 3.3 kV and with future potential up to tens of kV, SiC MOSFET is rapidly supplanting silicon IGBT technology, delivering remarkable power conversion efficiency in high-power applications. SiC MOSFETs are also poised to enable new applications, such as the replacement of the century-old 60 Hz Low-Frequency Transformer (LFT) with a Solid-State Transformer (SST). This paper provides an overview of several advancements in novel SiC power devices tailored for high-voltage and high-power applications. It showcases various examples of high-power SiC power conversion applications, illustrating that SiC power electronics technology is rapidly approaching the realization of a nearly 100 % efficiency power conversion system.