Prestigious Best Paper Award

Hitachi ABB Power Grids is proud to congratulate Lars Knoll and co-authors Gianpaolo Romano and Andrei Mihaila, who have won the PCIM Asia 2021 Best Paper Award for their entry 3.3kV Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power MOSFETs with High-k Gate Dielectric.

Their paper describes how the channel contribution of the overall resistance of planar 3.3kV MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect tansistors) was investigated and improved by using a high-k gate dielectric. It outlines how the channel contribution could be reduced significantly while maintaining superior bipolar body diode operation, and illustrates how reliable repetitive operation and rugged behavior in RB (reverse blocking) and SCSOA (short circuit safe operation area) could be demonstrated.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award. For several decades, we have been at the leading edge of power electronics innovation in Si and SiC, and this is further proof that we are continuing this legacy,” said Lars Knoll, Head of R&D BiMOS SiC Chips, Semiconductors, Hitachi ABB Power Grids and lead author of the paper. “This great achievement is to the credit of all our power semiconductors experts steadily developing advanced technologies with ultimate reliability and perfecting the art of manufacturing.”

PCIM (short for Power Conversion, Intelligent Motion) Asia is China’s leading exhibition and conference for specialists in power electronics and its applications and power quality. The event offers researchers, developers, and experts from industry and academia a chance to see the latest developments in power electronics components and systems, and to discuss and exchange visions on future power electronics systems, devices, and technologies. 

Through its annual Best Paper and Young Engineer Awards, PCIM Asia has honored outstanding contributions for over ten years, and supports young talents in the power electronics industry.

The PCIM Asia advisory board chose this year’s winning entries from more than 60 papers submitted for the PCIM Asia Conference and Exhibition which was held in Shenzhen from 9-11 September 2021,with the Best Paper and Young Engineer Award winners being honored on the first day of the conference and exhibition.

At this year’s conference, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, Semiconductors, presented four papers, an e-mobility forum presentation, and highlighted its latest technological breakthroughs at its booth in the e-mobility area of the exhibition.

3.3kV SiC Power MOSFETs with High-k Gate Dielectric

The 3.3kV SiC Power MOSFETs, called SiC LinPak module, will enable more efficient power flow in the electric trains and trams; these devices bring people to work. Allowing a reliable and improved efficiency operation of medium voltage drives in electrical motors will reduce the energy consumption of one of the world’s largest electrical systems, thus significantly impacting energy saving worldwide.

SiC is a wide-bandgap semiconductor with key properties making it extremely attractive for applications in power electronics. Using the increased electrical field strength, higher temperature capability and better thermal conductivity, the SiC MOSFETs have much higher power densities than their Si (silicon) counterparts. Moreover, since the devices are now more efficient, high-voltage MOSFETs (i.e., 3.3 kV and above) are possible. These enhancements mean power conversion system efficiency is improved, a smaller footprint is achieved and cooling requirements are much lower. The new SiC LinPak enables increased switching frequency, significantly reducing filtering requirements. This makes the output wave curve much smoother, protecting the motor turned by the drive.