In booth 1655 at the Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition (APEC 2016) in Long Beach, CA, USA (20–24 March), Monolith Semiconductor Inc of Round Rock, TX, USA is demonstrating its fast-switching silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs).
The in-booth demonstration illustrate the capabilities of Monolith's SiC technology by operating a 5kW buck converter with 675V nominal input and 350V nominal output at high frequencies (~200kHz) and high-efficiency (>98%) converter performance that cannot be achieved with silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).
Monolith says that its SiC technology also allows for reductions in device size and weight (as a result of the higher frequency capabilities) and power consumption (due to reduced power losses) in applications like data-center uninterruptible power systems (UPS).
In 2015, Monolith formed a strategic partnership with Littelfuse Inc of Chicago, IL, USA (which provides circuit protection technologies) to develop power semiconductors for industrial and automotive markets. "We are excited for the opportunity this offers to increase our customer reach dramatically, gain access to global channels, and benefit from their sales and marketing depth and expertise," says Monolith's CEO Sujit Banerjee PhD. Littelfuse has committed to add to its investment as Monolith achieves specific technological milestones.
Monolith also has a strategic manufacturing partnership with the CMOS fabrication facility of X-FAB Silicon Foundries in Lubbock, Texas, to produce Monolith's 150mm SiC wafers in high volumes. By producing SiC power diodes and MOSFETs in a facility typically used for silicon, Monolith aims to lower the cost, improve the reliability, and expand the availability of SiC devices. The objective is to make their adoption economically feasible for a wider range of high-performance, high-efficiency power electronics systems.
