Enhancement of Switching Performance and Output Power Density in 3.3 kV Full SiC Power Module

Hitachi’s latest full SiC power module is described. To achieve increase of the output current density and higher speed operation, the switching characteristics of an existing SBD-less module were improved by adopting new internal component devices. An important aspect of the modification is the use of a gate resistor with a small temperature coefficient to adjust the switching speed whilst suppressing undesirable oscillations. Through this modification, the total switching losses at Tj = 175deg C were decreased by approximately 30%, and maximum output current was increased by 20% compared to the conventional version. These enhancements will contribute to an increase in output power and carrier frequency, enabling exceptional system design opportunities featuring low harmonic losses and compact passive components.