High-Temperature, 400 W, DC-to-AC Inverter Using Silicon Carbide Gate Turn- Off Thyristors and p-i-n Diodes

摘要

A high-temperature, 400 W, DC-to-AC inverter has been developed using silicon carbide gate turn-off thyristors and p-i-n diodes. We demonstrate the inverter driving a three-phase, inductive motor up to 580 W and device case temperatures up to 150 deg C. The inverter circuit was constructed to perform the first characterization of these SiC devices under significant electrical and thermal stresses, investigate the parametric operating space of the SiC devices, and uncover circuit-related failure modes. We discuss our electrical screening criteria of the SiC components, electrical stresses brought about by circuit topology, component failure modes, and inverter performance. We will use the results of this work in the development of future SiC components.