Power device solutions for highly efficient power supplies

Abstract

Switched mode power supplies (SMPS) for target applications covering a wide range from telecom rectifiers through servers to solar inverters or electric vehicle chargers share the need for high efficiencies in order to minimize the overall energy consumption and the total cost of ownership. With the appearance of wide bandgap semiconductors designers cannot only choose between different devices but also may benefit from using advanced topologies. This work compares important properties of a CoolSiC ™ Silicon-Carbide MOSFET, a CoolGaN ™ E-mode GaN power transistor, a TRENCHSTOP 5 ™ IGBT accompanied by a SiC Schottky diode and a CoolMOS ™ Superjunction (SJ) device, and discusses an approach to avoid the limitations of SJ devices with respect to hard commutation of the body diode and evaluates the achievable efficiency in the AC-DC conversion stage of a power supply.