Research reported in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics by researchers at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation describes the development of a new power module made from a SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor and a SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD). The team successfully trialed the module in a train traction inverter – a device used to convert the direct current from the power source to three-phase alternating current suitable for driving the propulsion motors – with promising results. This research is featured in the September 2015 issue of the JSAP Bulletin.
Satoshi Yamakawa and co-workers at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have developed a new power module made from a SiC MOSFET and a SBD. The team successfully trialed the module in a train traction inverter – a device used to convert the direct current from the power source to three-phase alternating current suitable for driving the propulsion motors – with promising results. For a power module in a traction inverter, low power loss, miniaturization, high voltage rating, and high temperature environmental resistance are required.
Yamakawa and his team prepared the SiC MOSFET for the power module by n-type doping the junction field-effect transistor region: this reduced on-resistance of the device at high temperatures. By combining the SiC MOSFET with a SiC SBD – a diode which allows for fast and efficient switching – the team created a power module for a traction inverter rated at 3.3kV / 1500A. A new traction inverter system equipped with their power module is stable, highly efficient and reduces switching losses by 55% compared with conventional silicon-based inverters.
