Page 53 - PEN eBook July 2023

Semiconductors

To meet the demands of these highly capable and efficient EV charging designs, Rohm offers a
broad product portfolio of active and passive electronic devices specifically tailored to EV charging
applications. In particular, silicon carbide MOSFETs and diodes, along with supporting gate drivers,

have yielded a strong competitive advantage in terms of price and performance.

SiC MOSFETs: DRIVING EV
TRENDS

SiC is a wide-bandgap semiconductor that
has taken center stage in the world of power
electronics for its high voltage tolerance,
high power density, low on-state resistance
and excellent thermal conductivity. These

characteristics are all perfectly suited for many
of the tasks performed within an EV charging
Figure 3: R reduction of Rohm’s fourth-generation SiC station.
on
MOSFET
Rohm’s fourth generation of SiC MOSFETs is based on a proprietary trench structure that reduces
the on-resistance of the active area while maintaining high voltage operation, as shown in Figure 3.
The result is the industry’s lowest-loss device that offers fast switching, high reliability and painless

implementation.

In addition to reduced conduction losses in the active area of the device, parasitic capacitance is
significantly improved. This helps reduce the power lost during high-speed charging and discharging
of these parasitics and avoid self-turn-on. The result is a dramatic improvement in heat generation
and up to 40% reduction in heatsink size requirements, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Improved switching loss of Rohm’s fourth-generation SiC MOSFET

JULY 2023 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com 53