Infineon Unveils Revolutionary SiC Module at PCIM
At this week’s virtual PCIM show, Infineon Technologies launched a new automotive power module featuring CoolSiC MOSFET technology.
The new HybridPack Drive CoolSiC is a full-bridge module with a 1.2kV blocking voltage, specifically designed for traction inverters in electric vehicles. This module leverages automotive CoolSiC trench MOSFET technology to deliver high power density and performance, improving the efficiency of inverters, extending vehicle range, and reducing battery costs—especially for cars with 800V battery systems and larger capacities.
Jin-Hwan Jung, head of the electrification development team at Hyundai Motor Group, highlighted the benefits: “The 800V system of the E-GMP electric global modular platform underpins the next generation of vehicles with shorter charging times. By incorporating Infineon’s CoolSiC power modules, we’ve increased vehicle range by over five percent due to the efficiency gains from lower SiC losses compared to silicon.”
First introduced in 2017, the HybridPack Drive originally used Infineon’s silicon EDT2 technology, providing real-world driving efficiency with a scalable power range of 100 to 180kW in the 750V and 1.2kV classes. This product is a market leader, with over a million units shipped across more than 20 electric vehicle platforms.
The CoolSiC version is built on Infineon’s silicon carbide trench MOSFET structure, which supports higher cell density compared to planar structures, enhancing reliability by allowing operation at lower gate-oxide field strengths.
Mark Münzer, head of innovation at Infineon, commented on the fast-evolving automotive e-mobility market: “As SiC device prices drop, their commercial adoption will speed up. This will lead to more cost-effective platforms using SiC technology to boost electric vehicle ranges.”
The power module allows for an easy upgrade from silicon to silicon carbide within the same footprint, enabling inverters to deliver up to 250kW in the 1.2kV class, thus enhancing driving range, reducing battery size, and optimizing overall system size and cost. It comes in two versions with different chip quantities, resulting in either 400A or 200A DC ratings within the 1.2kV class.
Infineon’s first-generation CoolSiC automotive MOSFET technology focuses on minimizing conduction losses, especially under partial load conditions, and paired with low SiC switching losses, it improves inverter efficiency over silicon IGBTs. Designed and tested for short-circuit robustness and high resistance to cosmic rays and gate-oxide stress, these MOSFETs are essential for developing reliable high-voltage automotive traction inverters.
The module meets the AQG324 automotive power module standards and is currently in production, with availability beginning in June 2021.
