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voltage in the same package as Si. Because of this, SiC-based components such as MOSFETs can be created at blocking voltages about 10X compared to Si. Thus, very high-voltage, high-power devices can be fabricated reliably, and designers can work within tighter margins to deliver higher performance. These devices can be placed very close together, allowing for greater packing density of components. • Higher thermal conductivity results in more efficient heat transfer. Furthermore, a lower on-state resistance decreases conducting losses. • SiC-based components are capable of higher switching frequencies. The higher switching frequency of SiC enables a peak efficiency of > 98.5 percent, making it possible for systems to meet the 80 Plus Titanium Standard (Figure 2). Industrial applications that benefit from SiC With these characteristics, SiC-based components enable power supplier designers to reach new levels of efficiency. The impact of SiC can be seen in many industrial applications: POWER FACTOR CORRECTION (PFC) PFC is a technique that can drastically reduce wasted power by increasing the power factor of a power supply. Without PFC, power supplies draw current in short, high-magnitude pulses. With PFC, these pulses can be smoothed out to reduce the input root mean square (RMS) current and apparent input power. This effectively shapes the input current to maximize the power realized from the supply. The higher frequency enabled by SiC allows for the use of smaller and more affordable surrounding components (Figure 3). Figure 2: This graph shows the efficiency of a 20kW SiC AC/DC converter. As can be seen from these experimental results, the converter can achieve a peak efficiency of > 98.5 percent, reaching 80 Plus Titanium standards. (Source: Wolfspeed) Figure 3: Dual-Boost Semi-Bridgeless PFC using Si Hybrid Totem Pole PFC featuring SiC (Source: Wolfspeed) The higher frequency enabled by SiC allows for the use of smaller and more affordable surrounding components. As can be seen, a hybrid approach using SiC MOSFETs requires fewer parts, is more cost-effective, and achieves a higher power density. As can be seen, a hybrid approach using SiC MOSFETs requires fewer components, is more cost-effective, and achieves a higher power density. This leads to reduced system size, weight, and cost (Figure 4). Furthermore, in addition to reducing overall energy consumption, the higher efficiency achieved improves thermal performance, leading to additional reductions in the size and weight of the power supply. Figure 4: Silicon carbide (SiC) offers significant advantages over traditional silicon (Si). (Source: Wolfspeed) | 4 | | 11 |

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