Power Semiconductor Modules for EVs and PHEVs
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced the coming release of six J3-Series power semiconductor modules for various electric vehicles (xEV), featuring either a silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) or a RC-IGBT (Si), with compact designs and scalability for use in the inverters of EVs and PHEVs. All six J3-Series products will be available for sample shipments by the end of this quarter. In the xEV sector, power semiconductor modules are used widely in power conversion devices such as inverters for xEV drive motors. In addition to extending the cruising range of xEVs, compact, high-power, high-efficiency modules are needed to further downsize batteries and inverters. But due to the high safety standards set for xEVs, power semiconductors used in drive motors must be more reliable than those used in general industrial applications. Development of these SiC products was partially supported by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
