SiC MOSFETs enable higher efficiency & power density

Demand for safe, efficient, and fast-charging industrial batteries has increased exponentially along with the proliferation of power electronics. The HF9 product family is designed to provide the highest possible efficiency while achieving easy scalability for power from 6 to 16kW. These benefits are made possible in part by Wolfspeed 1,200V SiC MOSFET technology.

“We selected Wolfspeed SiC Planar MOSFETs for our new HF9 battery charger family because they enabled us to improve our battery chargers while achieving operational savings, increased productivity and increased safety. This was not possible with the best IGBTs in the market,” said both Marco Mazzanti and Giancarlo Ceo, CTO and R&D engineer, respectively, Gruppo PBM.

Based in Italy, Gruppo PBM specializes in rugged high-frequency battery chargers, dischargers and testers. By using Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs in its latest HF9 family, Gruppo PBM not only achieves improved efficiency, but also a reduction in component count, improving the overall reliability in the system by lowering the operating temperatures and - most importantly - reducing overall system cost.

Edgar Ayerbe, Marketing Manager, Power MOSFET, Wolfspeed, commented: “Wolfspeed’s SiC MOSFETs, especially our new C3M 900V family, are enjoying rapid adoption in the growing battery charger market segment. Our products increase power density and dramatically lower switching losses, making it possible to introduce smaller, cooler and lower cost chargers for the automotive and industrial markets.”

Wolfspeed SiC MOSFETs are commercially available in 900, 1,200 and 1,700V versions in TO-247 and SMD package options. The newly released surface-mount package, specifically designed for high-voltage MOSFETs, has a small footprint with a wide creepage distance of 7mm between its drain and source. The new package also includes a separate driver-source connection, which reduces gate ringing and provides clean gate signals.