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Motor Control Design with SiC Power Devices
n industrial power applications such as motor con- trol (Figure 1), stringent requirements for high effi- ciency, excellent thermal management, high reli-
ability, low weight, and reduced size must be met. To achieve the required performance, semiconductor devices must deliver high power density, high efficiency, and high reliability.
In recent years, discrete and module-based power solutions have emerged that can overcome the limits of silicon technol- ogy, enabling higher operating temperatures, higher switch- ing frequencies, lower power losses, and smaller size (Figure 2). Silicon carbide, a wide-bandgap semiconductor, has a breakdown electric field nearly 10× higher than that of sili- con (2.8 MV/cm, versus 0.3 MV/cm), allowing for a lower layer thickness and reduced surface resistance. The high carrier mobility supports higher switching frequencies, reducing power losses even at high temperatures.
Starting from these assumptions, we consulted experts from Microchip Technology and Texas Instruments to analyze the power-design challenges for motor control applications.
By Stefano Lovati and Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
FIGURE 1: MOTOR CONTROL APPLICATION (SOURCE: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS)
How can SiC power devices reduce power losses, increasing efficiency in motor drive applications?
Wei Zhang, systems manager, High Power Drivers,
Texas Instruments: Currently, most commercialized high- power motor drive designs are based on insulated-gate bipo- lar transistor [IGBT] devices, which come with a co-packaged
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ASPENCORE GUIDE TO SILICON CARBIDE