Rohm SiC MOSFETs feature Lowest ON Resistance

Advanced design expected to see widespread adoption in the main drive inverters of EVs

Rohm has announced the cutting-edge 4th Generation 1200V SiC MOSFETs optimised for automotive powertrain systems, including the main drive inverter, as well as power supplies for industrial equipment.

In recent years, the proliferation of next-generation electric vehicles (xEVs) has been accelerating the development of smaller, lighter, and more efficient electrical systems. In particular, improving efficiency while decreasing the size of the main inverter that plays a central role in the drive system remains among the most important challenges, requiring further advancements in power devices.

The capacity of the onboard battery is increasing to improve the cruising range of EVs. And in conjunction with this, the use of higher voltage batteries (800V) is progressing to meet the demand for shorter charging times.

For power semiconductors there is often a trade-off relationship between lower ON resistance and short-circuit withstand time, which is required to strike a balance for achieving lower power losses in SiC MOSFETs. Rohm was able to successfully improve this trade-off relationship and reduce ON resistance per unit area by 40% over conventional products without sacrificing short-circuit withstand time by further improving an original double trench structure. In addition, significantly reducing the parasitic capacitance (which is a problem during switching) makes it possible to achieve 50% lower switching loss over our previous generation of SiC MOSFETs.