The Development of SiC Technology and Its Application in the Power Grid

Prof. YU Kunshan

Smart Grid Research Institute of SG

Department of Electrician New Material and Microelectronics

2012.9Shanghai

Outline

1• Introduction

2• Characteristics and Advantages

3• Latest Progress

4• Application

5• Key Technologies

6• Prospect Application of Power Grid

7• Conclusion

2

1 Introduction

Power device is widely used in transportation, iron and steel smelting, motor drives

and power systems.

It is indispensable in the development of low-carbon economy, energy conservation,

control field warming .

The requirements of power devices in power grid: High operating voltage

High power density

High junction and Operating

Temperature

High power capacity

High switching frequency

Low losses

Easy Control Silicon power devices determined by the material

properties is closed to the performance limit. 3

1 Introduction

Typical applications of power devices in power grid.

LCC-HVDC VSC-HVDC Multi-HVDC

STATCOM DVR Inverter

4

1 Introduction

The demand of power devices in power grid.

AC transmission technology Demand

Domestic thyristor-based FACTS equipment has developed, such as: SC, HR, FCL, SVC.

Higher voltage, Greater capacity.

The relevant demonstration studies based on Turn-off devices FACTS equipment have been carried out ， such as ： STATCOM, UPFC.

Higher voltage, better performance of series and parallel.

Domestic Turn-off devices -based DFACTs equipment has developed ，such as ：DVR ， SSTS ， DSTATCOM ， APF.

Greater flow capacity, More cooling capacity.

More Efficiency FACTS or DFACTs ， such as ： TCPST, CSC, SST.

Research and integrated of power electronic devices based on new materials. 5

1 Introduction

DC transmission technology Demand

HVDC technology based on

thyristor has developed and the

capacity is growing.

R&D of thyristor based on new

material(SiC)

VSC-HVDC technology has been

carried out.

Presspack IGBT

More compact, more efficient HVDC

and DC grid technology.

Research and integrated of power electronic devices based on new materials

The demand of power devices in power grid

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2 Characteristics and Advantages

The critical avalanche breakdown electric field intensity is 10 times that of silicon.

The thermal conductivity is three times that of silicon, can work properly at 300 .℃

The temperature coefficient is close to zero.

Switch much faster than silicon devices, reducing the switching losses.

Conduction resistance of several tenth of the equivalent silicon devices, reducing conduction losses and the total energy consumption can be reduced more than 30%.

Outstanding advantages of silicon carbide power devices.

The current density can reach 4 times that of the Si.

High Voltage

Current density

High Temperature

Low Loss

SiC is suitable for the power electronic devices with high-power, high temperature and anti-radiation. 7

2 Characteristics and Advantages

The thickness of Si, SiC, GaN, and Diamond withstand 10kV voltage.

Use of silicon carbide, the thickness of the device is reduced to silicon’s 1/10.

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DiamondSiCGaNSi

2 Characteristics and Advantages

Characteristics of the power devices based on SiC and diamond material.

High Temperatures

High Voltage

High Frequency

Low Loss

Wide Band gap

High breakdown electric field

High thermal conductivity

High carrier drift velocity

GaN thermal conductivity is not high enough , have advantages in terms of high-frequency ；

Diamond preparation is very difficult, the processing technology is restricted ；

SiC power devices fastest growing in high voltage power device.

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3 Latest Progress

SBD 、 JBS

Switch

Bipolar diodes

IGBT

SiC power device

Rectifier

PIN

Unipolar transistors

Bipolar transistor

MOSFET JFET BJT,GTO

The Type of SiC Power Devices

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3 Latest Progress

JFET/SITCreeSemisouthInfineon/SiCEDHitachiToshiba…

MOSFETBefore 2011

CreeFairchildMitsubishiPhilipsRohmGE…

IGBT/Thyristor

Cree

Schottky diodes

Infineon/SiCEDMitsubishiRohmSemisouthIRSTMicroelectronics…

PiN/JBS diodes

Cree

BJT TranSiCCree…

SiC devices

The CREE prepared 20kV devices , low-voltage devices

have entered the market.

The CREE prepared 20kV devices , low-voltage devices

have entered the market.

SiC Power Devices Manufacturers

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Schottky diodes

1300A/5000V

10kV

PINdiodes

180A/4.5kV

19.5kV

POWER MOSFET 100A/10kV

thyristor 100A/5kV

GTO 100A/9kV

IGCT 200A/4.5kV

IGBT 13kV

One-to-one correspondence with the silicon-based devices, a variety of silicon carbide devices have been developed in the lab.

1700V, 50A SiC SBD has been commercialized.

1700V, 50A SiC MOSFET has been commercialized.

MOSFET GTO

SiC Power device parameters

3 Latest Progress

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3 Latest Progress

Cree － 1200V/50A SiC SBDCree － 1200V/50A SiC SBDSchematic diagram of SiC SBDSchematic diagram of SiC SBD

1 、 SiC SBD

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3 Latest Progress

2 、 SiC JBS

Cree 10kV 20A SiC 模块

Cree has producted 10kV/20A JBS diode on 3-inch wafer. Chip area is 15mm x 11mm, yield is 37%.

Cree has producted 10kV/20A JBS diode on 3-inch wafer. Chip area is 15mm x 11mm, yield is 37%.

Large wafers, big chip, acceptable yield

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3 Latest Progress

3 、 SiC PiN Diode

The left shows Cree product a 10kV/20A PIN diode on 2-inch wafer , the yield reached 40%. Right is a PiN diode with positive 3.2V/180A, reverse leakage 1μA/4.5KV.

The left shows Cree product a 10kV/20A PIN diode on 2-inch wafer , the yield reached 40%. Right is a PiN diode with positive 3.2V/180A, reverse leakage 1μA/4.5KV.

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3 Latest Progress

Rutgers University producted 1kV/20A BJT on 2-inch wafer 。

TranSiC 1200V/20A BJT .

SiC BJT switching quickly , can work at 100kHz. The process is relatively simple, relatively high yield.

SiC BJT switching quickly , can work at 100kHz. The process is relatively simple, relatively high yield.

4 、 SiC BJT Bipolar Transistor

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3 Latest Progress

5 、 SiC MOSFET

Cree produced a 10kV/20A MOSFET on a 3-inch wafer. The area of the chip is more than 8mm x 8mm.

Cree produced a 10kV/20A MOSFET on a 3-inch wafer. The area of the chip is more than 8mm x 8mm.

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3 Latest Progress

3.4 SiC JFET

2009, SiC JFET products to market

2009, SiC JFET products to market

6 、 SiC JFET

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3 Latest Progress

7 、 SiC IGBT

Cree Inc. reported a silicon carbide n-channel IGBT with 22mΩcm2 characterized resistance and reverse voltage of 13kV, about 10 times lower than 13kV silicon carbide unipolar devices.

Cree Inc. reported a silicon carbide n-channel IGBT with 22mΩcm2 characterized resistance and reverse voltage of 13kV, about 10 times lower than 13kV silicon carbide unipolar devices.

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3 Latest Progress

8 、 SiC Thyristor

In 2009, Cree reported a silicon carbide GTO ， N- SubstrateIn 2009, Cree reported a silicon carbide GTO ， N- Substrate

Cree 9kV GTO ， Single-chip current 400ACree 9kV GTO ， Single-chip current 400A20

3 Latest Progress

9 、 Si IGBT and SiC JBS Hybrid modules

55kW three-phase Inverters used 600V/600A IGBT and 600V/75A SiC SBD, the efficiency is more than 90% . The loss of reverse is substantial decline at the peak power 47kW.

55kW three-phase Inverters used 600V/600A IGBT and 600V/75A SiC SBD, the efficiency is more than 90% . The loss of reverse is substantial decline at the peak power 47kW.

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3 Latest Progress

10 、 all SiC MOSFET and JBS Hybrid

modules

A 1200V 800A SiC dual power module for DC / AC inverter circuit is composed by 20 80A SiC MOSFETs and 20 50A SiC JBS, the inverter loss is 40% less than that of Si hybrid modules, up to 97.5%.Switching frequency to four times higher.

A 1200V 800A SiC dual power module for DC / AC inverter circuit is composed by 20 80A SiC MOSFETs and 20 50A SiC JBS, the inverter loss is 40% less than that of Si hybrid modules, up to 97.5%.Switching frequency to four times higher.

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3 Latest Progress

Domestic Research

Domestic ： urgent needs to enhance the

research level of SiC power device

Compared to other countries, SiC is a comprehensive study of the

late start has become a hot topic in recent years.

Although having the basic process and the foundation of high-

voltage device, there is a large gap from us to foreign advanced

level.

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The leading R&D Department is military, major in radar and microwave devices. The R&D of power electronic devices efforts does not match the user demand.

Foreign SiC substrate material is costly, Domestic SiC substrate material lack of quality and stability .

The requirement of devices processing is strict.There is no civilian device process line here in China.

The problems in domestic

3 Latest Progress

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Schottky diode has went into the civilian market;Kansai Electric Power Company for wind, solar inverter, Mitsubishi Electric for silicon carbide inverter air conditioner ,The conversion efficiency can be increased from 95% of the silicon device to 97-99%.

Schottky diode has went into the civilian market;Kansai Electric Power Company for wind, solar inverter, Mitsubishi Electric for silicon carbide inverter air conditioner ,The conversion efficiency can be increased from 95% of the silicon device to 97-99%.

Widely uesed in household appliances, office equipment, power management and UPS

Widely uesed in household appliances, office equipment, power management and UPS

Efficient compact power

4 Application

Toyota hybrid electric vehicles have been used in motor control, and higher breakdown voltage, less open resistance value rate, 600 °C high temperature operation, improve power conversion performance of hybrid electrical power automotive.

Automotive electronics

4 Application

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4 Application

Reduce ship weightAircraft carrier CVN-781 、 Aircraft launching system using the new technology of silicon carbide power .2 、 SiC-based high frequency power electronic module, the volume and weight of the transformer is less than half the volume and weight reduction can be a better configuration of the other tasks sensor systems, weapons and other equipment.Reduce the total weight of the aircraft carrier 170 tons, the volume is reduced by 290 m3 .

Military applications

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4 Application

Military applications

MEA aircraft needs high efficiency and high temperature transistor, SiC power device for energy efficiency helps to develop more small, more light and faster aircraft .

More Electric Aircraft MEA

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4 Application

Three-phase PV inverter efficiency

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Large size, low defect SiC single crystal technology.

High-voltage SiC technology.

5 Key Technologies

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Fast, low defects, extra-thick epitaxial material growth technology.

5 Key Technologies

Technology of the fabrication

No. Name Device Requirement

1 Fast and ultra thick epitaxial technology

CVD Epitaxial furnace

thickness more than 100um

2High activation rate ion implantation technology

High temperature high-energy ion injection machine

800keV,400℃

3 High temperature annealing technology

High temperature annealing furnace

1600 ℃

4 High temperature oxidation technology

High temperature oxidation furnace

1400℃

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5 Key Technologies

Development goals

SiC wafer

SiC device

Peripheral technology

Achieve 6 inches wafer and above.

Get rid of the dependence .

The price of unit area has down to 1/10.

Rectifier change to large current (above 100A).

Improve the characteristics.

Mass Production .

Breakthrough the limit of packaging temperature

The control circuit and the peripheral devices

Improve the controlling method.

The new noise reduction strategy .

Future Prospects

Progresses in the

development of device

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

1200V SBD

4500V JBS

10kV SiC PIN

1200V – 6500V Si &SiC Hybrid model

3300V JBS

6500V PiN

1500V MOSFET

3300V MOSFET

4500V MOSFET

6500V MOSFET

10kV MOSFET 、 IGB

T

5 Key Technologies

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6 Prospect Application of Power Grid

Significant demand for gridTransmission systemImprove safety and reliabilityIncrease transmission

capacityImprove transmission

efficiencyMaximize the access to

renewable energy to Power system

Distribution systemImprove the security,

reliability and economy valueImprove the performance of

electrical equipmentImprove energy efficiency

SiC power device will provide a efficient solution34

Electronics technologies used in renewable generation

Decreases loss:2/3 ， Increase generating capacity:2-3 %35

6 Prospect Application of Power Grid

By using SiC power devices, an all-DC power grid will be

established eventurally

SiC device （ High voltage 30kV 、 large

capacity 3000A ）

DC circuit breaker

VSC- DC Grid

measurement, control and protection in DC

DC cable

Key Technologies of DC1

2

3 4

5

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7 Conclusion

Experts concerned the excellent performance of SiC power

devices. It need to make more mature development of diverse

applications.

SiC power devices will drive the generation, transmission, and

distribution with technological progress.

The new SiC power devices used in various types of grid and

electric equipment, it makes the possibility that the electric

equipment can be attached power quality control ability. This

feature will change the pattern of power quality control technology

.

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Thank You !