Cree has shattered the on-resistance barrier of traditional 1200V MOSFET technology by introducing the industry’s first commercially available silicon carbide (SiC) 1200V MOSFET with an RDS(ON) of 25mO in an industry standard TO-247-3 package. The new MOSFET, designated the C2M0025120D, is expected to be widely adopted in PV inverters, high voltage DC/DC converters, induction heating systems, EV charging systems, and medical CT applications.
Based on Cree’s proven C2M SiC MOSFET technology, the new device has a pulsed current rating (IDS Pulse) of 250A and a positive temperature coefficient, providing engineers with greater design flexibility to explore new design concepts. The high IDS Pulse rating makes the device suitable for pulsed power applications, and the positive temperature coefficient allows the devices to be paralleled to achieve even higher power levels.
The higher switching frequency of the new C2M0025120D SiC MOSFET enables power electronics design engineers to reduce the size, weight, cost, and complexity of power systems. For medical applications, such as CT systems, Cree’s C2M MOSFETs provide a 5X reduction in switching losses and enable much higher power density. Combined with the lower switching losses, the added benefit of low RDS(ON) greatly improves the thermal characteristics and can potentially even eliminate system fans, resulting in quieter and more cost effective medical imaging systems.
Cree has also demonstrated that, by implementing the C2M0025120D in a PV string-inverter, it is possible to develop a highly efficient and compact 50kW grid-tied solar inverter with a power to weight ratio of 1kW/kg. This results in a string inverter that is significantly more efficient and half the weight and size of the state-of-the-art commercial 50kW systems available today. Additionally, for rooftop PV inverters, the smaller size and lighter weight greatly reduce the installation costs.
Cree offers several tools to help engineers get started with their next designs, including full reference designs of recommended SiC MOSFET gate driver circuits. Customers can also purchase Cree CRD-001 gate driver boards, which provide a convenient way to quickly evaluate the C2M0025120D device using industry standard components. Further, the MOSFETs are also compatible with a host of industry standard gate drivers from leading IC companies, such as TI, Avago, and IXYS.
For more information about Cree’s new 1200V/50A SiC MOSFETs, please visit http://www.cree.com/Power/Products/MOSFETs/TO247/C2M0025120D.
