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FIGURE 1: FORWARD CHARACTERISTICS OF SiC MOSFETS, SHOWING THE DIFFERENCES IN BODY-DIODE DEGRADATION BY SUPPLIER (SOURCE: ANANT AGARWAL AND MIN SEOK KANG, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY)
dation was observed in MOSFETs from Supplier C.
Once device reliability is validated, the next step is evaluating the ecosystem surrounding these devices, including breadth of product options, a solid supply chain, and design support.
Supply, support, and system-level
design
With a growing number of SiC suppliers, today’s SiC compa- nies can vary in the device options they provide — in addition to the experience and infrastructure they offer to support and supply many stringent SiC markets, such as automotive and aerospace and defense.
Power system designs go through continuous improvement over time and within different generations of that design. SiC applications are no different. Early generations of designs may use widely available and standard discrete power prod- ucts within very standard through-hole or surface-mount package options. As the number of applications grows and designers focus on reducing size, weight, and cost, they typi- cally move their designs to integrated power modules or may choose a three-party partnership. These three-party part-
nerships include the end-product design team, a module manufacturer, and a SiC die supplier. Each plays a critical role in achieving the overall design goals.
Supply chain issues are a key and legitimate concern in the rapidly growing SiC market. SiC substrate material is the costliest material within the manufacturing flow of the SiC die. In addition, SiC manufacturing requires high- temperature fabrication equipment that isn’t required for developing silicon-based power products and ICs. Designers must ensure that SiC suppliers have a strong supply chain model, including multiple manufacturing locations in case of natural disasters or major yield issues, to ensure supply can always meet demand. Many component suppliers also “end of life” older generations of devices, forcing design- ers to spend time and resources on a redesign of an existing application instead of developing innovative designs that would help lower end-product costs and grow revenue.
Design support is also critical, including simulation tools and reference designs that help reduce development cycle times. With solutions for addressing the control and drive of SiC devices, developers can explore new capabilities such as augmented switching to realize the full value of a
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