Wide Bandgap Technology –Next Generation Power Devices

The tightening of industry standards and changes in government regulations are key drivers of higher energy efficiency. For example, data centers are growing exponentially to meet demand. They use about 3% of the world’s total electricity supply (400 kWh) and 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon emissions of the aviation industry are also the same. With the huge demand for energy, governments are adopting stricter standards and new regulatory measures to ensure that all energy-dependent products require the highest energy efficiency.

At the same time, we see the need for higher power density and smaller space. Electric vehicles are trying to reduce weight and improve energy efficiency, thus supporting the ability to travel longer distances per charge. On-board chargers (OBCs) and traction inverters are now using wide bandgap (WBG) products to achieve this goal.

Silicon Carbide(SiC) and Gallium Nitride(GaN) are wide bandgap materials that provide the foundation for next-generation power devices. Compared to silicon, SiC and GaN require three times more energy to allow electrons to start moving freely in the material. It therefore has better properties and properties than silicon.

A major advantage is the greatly reduced switching losses. First, this means that the device is less prone to heat. This benefits the entire system because the size (and cost) of the heat sink can be reduced. The second is to increase the switching speed. Designers can now go far beyond the physical limits of silicon MOSFETs or IGBTs. This allows the system to reduce passive components such as transformers, inductors and capacitors. Therefore, the WBG solution can increase system energy efficiency, reduce volume and device cost, and increase power density.

Silicon carbide diodes are widely used in a variety of PFC topologies where energy efficiency is critical. It is also easier to handle electromagnetic interference (EMI) due to its extremely fast reverse recovery speed. On semiconductor has a complete lineup of 650 V and 1200 V SiC diodes covering all power ranges for single-phase and multi-phase applications. At the same time, we will introduce the 1200 V MOSFET later in 2018, which will provide the highest performance and excellent ruggedness and high reliability. It offers a patented termination structure that ensures best-in-class ruggedness and no associated failures due to humidity.

GaN is now increasingly accepted by the market. There have been several technical iterations, from “D-Mode” to Cascode, and now the final “E-Mode” (normally closed) device. GaN is an ultra-fast device that requires a focus on PCB layout and optimized gate drive. Dr. Sharka, a technology officer of Xiamen Powerway Advanced Material Co.,Ltd share with us saying the big different between GaN D-Mode and GaN E-Mode from epi wafer perspective is in two points: different barrier structure, typical value of D-HEMT is AlGaN thickness 21nm with Al composition 25%, while E-HEMT is AlGaN thickness 18nm with Al composition 18%, and another point is there are p GaN layer of E-HEMT for deplete 2DEG.

We now see designers know how to use GaN and see a huge advantage over silicon. We are working with leading industrial and automotive partners to deliver the highest power density and energy efficiency for next-generation systems such as server power supplies, travel adapters and car chargers. Since GaN is a very new technology, which will ensure additional screening technology and testing for GaN to provide the highest quality products on the market.

About Xiamen Powerway Advanced Material Co., Ltd

Found in 1990, Xiamen Powerway Advanced Material Co., Ltd (PAM-XIAMEN), a leading manufacturer of Wide bandgap(WBG) semiconductor material in China, its business involves GaN material covering GaN substrate, GaN epi wafers and SiC material covering SiC substrate and SiC epi wafer.

KeyWords: wide bandgap, wide bandgap materials , wide bandgap semiconductors, wide bandgap sic

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.powerwaywafer.com,

send us email at angel.ye@powerwaywafer.com or powerwaymaterial@gmail.com.