Advanced High Current and Voltage SiC Diodes for Power Switching

"We propose to design, fabricate and develop an advanced SiC diode that can lead to (i) substantially reduced volume and weight of power systems, (ii) greatly expanded operating temperature range, and (iii) drastically improved power efficiency and enhancedradiation tolerance. In Phase I, we propose to compare and optimize different designs of the proposed SiC power diodes. We shall develop the critical processing technology to demonstrate the feasibility for the proposed SiC diode. We shall use 4H-SiC tofabricate and demonstrate the proposed diode up to 30 kW and prove that the proposed diode design is the best in comparison to conventional diodes. We shall, in Phase I, package the fabricated diodes for DC characterization to show its advantages over theconventional diodes. We shall also characterize the packaged SiC diodes in an inductively-loaded half-bridge inverter circuit to demonstrate its substantial switching advantages. In Phase II, we shall fully develop the processing technologies suitable forcommercial manufacturing in two voltage categories up to 225 kW for DOD and commercial applications. The fabricated diodes will be packaged with Si IGBTs and SiC power switches and evaluated by using an inverter system. High performance SiC diode for highfrequency, high power and high temperature applications including the Navy, the Air Force, and the Army high power motor control and power supply systems as well as numerous commerci