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Rohm reveals expanding Line of SiC power devices

Second and third generation SIC Schottky diodes and MOSFETS under development

SiC Schottky Barrier Diode Forward Voltage Comparison (650V/10A Class)

In a recent blog, Rohm has revealed that it is producing an expanding range of SiC semiconductors including Schottky diodes, MOSFETS and power modules, with various next generation products in development.

Rohm became the first Japanese manufacturer to mass-produce SiC Schottky diodes in 2010. Currently, second generation development is underway, according to the company, with the aim of reducing forward voltage by 0.15V compared to older 1st generation products while maintaining extremely short reverse recovery times.

Compared to Schottky barrier diodes, SiC MOSFETs suffer characteristics degradation (MOSFET on-resistance, increased forward voltage of the body diode) due to body diode current flow, which often causes reliability problems during mass production. Rohm was able to improve processes related to crystal defects and device structure and in December 2010 became the world's first to successfully mass produce SiC MOSFETs. Now second generation 650V and 1200V products are currently under development.

Rohm began mass production of a 'full SiC' power module with internal power elements comprised solely of SiC power devices in 2012. At present, two types of 1200V/120-180A rated power modules are being manufactured using an in-house production system, with 1200V/300A rated power modules scheduled for 2014 and further expansion of rated currents and voltages in the future. These SiC power modules, along with discrete SiC MOSFETs, are already beginning to see adoption globally, primarily in industrial applications such as commercial solar power conditioners and high frequency power supplies.

For the future, Rohm says it is planning a lineup of 1700V breakdown voltage SiC Schottky barrier diodes and SiC MOSFETs, and is currently developing third generation SiC MOSFETs utilising a trench gate structure that significantly reduces on-resistance per chip area. This technology is expected to accelerate the adoption of SiC by lowering on-resistance and decreasing chip costs.


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