Wolfspeed unveils lowest RDS(ON) SiC MOSFETs
SiC specialist Wolfspeed has introduced its fifth SiC technology generation, demonstrating a substantial performance increase in efficiency for next-generation 1200 V and 750 V automotive and industrial applications.
“With Gen 4, Wolfspeed delivered the switching breakthrough our customers needed, and less than two years later we’re introducing Gen 5 that gives engineers the most current possible with a 5x5 mm SiC footprint,” said Cengiz Balkas, Wolfspeed chief businessoOfficer. “What excites me most isn't just the pace of our innovation; it's what this technology unlocks for our customers: an accelerated path to smarter, more efficient, compact systems made for real-world conditions.”
According to Wolfspeed, Gen 5 products enable system architects to design more compact traction inverters and improve mileage per charge and right-size costly EV batteries. They also unlock new SiC opportunities by replacing mechanical relays with solid-state circuit breakers and set new efficiency standards for EV charging infrastructure. The benefits also extend beyond automotive to applications like industrial power supplies.
According to the company. Gen 5-based systems can achieve the highest current possible at high temperatures when compared to competitive 5 x 5 mm footprint SiC MOSFETs. And its optimiation of RDS(ON) resolves two compelling design challenges.
First, it significantly improves system-level conduction losses via an up to 27 percent reduction in RSP over today’s commercially available competitive 1200V solutions. The 1200 V QEM50120-25D10 achieves a 175℃ chip-level RSP of 3.4 mΩ-cm2, and the 750 V QEM50075-025D10 achieves a 175℃ chip-level RSP of 2.0 mΩ-cm2.
Second, it reduces the need for system-level design margin with ultra-low +/- 18 percent RDS(ON) distribution for both voltage nodes.
Wolfspeed Gen 5 includes the same body diode introduced with the Gen 4 technology platform but has an improved junction temperature of 200℃ continuous (215℃ limited life).
This is the second Wolfspeed MOSFET technology generation to be designed, manufactured, and qualified within Wolfspeed’s ramp-ready 200 mm device fabrication facility in Mohawk Valley, N.Y. New product introductions (NPI), sampling, and customer validation will be completed using 200 mm production material. Furthermore, no new manufacturing toolsets are required for volume production.
“Our planar MOSFET technology still has innovation runway. We established Gen 5 on tools and processes our customers are familiar with to create a low-risk upgrade path for next-generation programs,” said Adam Barkley, VP of power device and package development. “For customers facing compressed development timelines, that means faster validation, faster qualification, and faster time to market — without sacrificing the performance they know and trust.”
