– World's first integration of an SiC vertical MOSFET and an SiC CMOS onto a single chip! –
Researchers) OKAMOTO Mitsuo, Senior Researcher, HARADA Shinsuke, Team Leader, Power Device Team, YAO Atsushi, Researcher, SATO Hiroshi, Team Leader, Power Circuit Integration Team, Advanced Power Electronics Research Center
- Switching operation was demonstrated by integrating an SiC vertical MOSFET and an SiC CMOS onto a single chip.
- Newly developed device structure allowed the higher output current and achieved isolation from high voltages for SiC CMOS
- Expands the applications for power converters by reducing size and weight and enhancing performance and functionality
Micrograph and equivalent circuit of developed SiC monolithic power IC
Power electronics technology for converting and controlling electric power energy is a key technology that enables power saving in consumer electronics and industrial equipment, etc. Power electronics technology reduces the size and weight and enhance the performance and functionality of power converters, and it is key to expanding applications and achieving mass introduction of power converters, and innovation in power devices that play a core role is essential.
Silicon carbide (SiC) has superior physical properties compared to Si, which has conventionally been used as a power device material. SiC vertical MOSFETs can handle large currents and high voltages with lower loss have already achieved practical use. However, there are few reports of SiC monolithic power ICs due to manufacturing difficulties. In particular, SiC monolithic power ICs equipped with CMOS drive circuits that enable a simple circuit configuration and have low power consumption have yet to be realized. The main reasons are that SiC CMOS drive circuits designed not to break even at high voltages have small output current, and it was difficult to have SiC vertical MOSFETs perform switching operation.
Researchers in AIST has developed the world's first SiC monolithic power IC. It integrates a blocking voltage 1.2 kV class vertical MOSFET and a drive circuit comprised by a CMOS onto the same chip, and the switching operation was achieved.
SiC monolithic power ICs contribute to power converter enhancement such as size, weight and loss reduction, but had not yet been realized due to the challenge of achieving both increased output current and isolation from high voltages for SiC CMOS. An AIST original device structure was newly developed and succeeded in simultaneously achieving high voltage isolation and increased output current for SiC CMOS. This technology was used to fabricate an SiC monolithic power IC that integrates a CMOS drive circuit and an SiC vertical MOSFET onto the same chip, and the switching operation was demonstrated for the first time in the world. This technology opens the way for integration of functions such as SiC sensors and SiC logic circuits, and it expands the applications of power converters.