Distribution
Semiconductors continue to drive the electric vehicle industry
GD Rectifi ers’ managing director Paul Bentley explains how power semiconductors are leading the way for electric vehicles (EVs)
T he demand for power
semiconductor components has increased tenfold over the past fi ve years. There are more than 227,000 electric cars (EVs) on the road
today, 8,500 electric vans across 130 models and 25,733 charging points in the UK, with numbers rapidly increasing every day. The surge in demand for semiconductors has stemmed from innovations in the industry providing longer electric vehicle battery life. This not only improves the logistical appeal of electric vehicles, but it also provides a prime opportunity for semiconductor manufacturers and distributors.
GD Rectifi ers works with some of the world’s leading power semiconductor manufacturers including IXYS, Westcode, SEMIKRON, EDI and Dynex. The distributor stocks a wide range of power semiconductors used in the automotive industry, designed and manufactured specifi cally for electric vehicles, including power MOSFETs, IGBTs, rectifi ers, protection devices and voltage regulators.
Here are some of the key
semiconductor components and the brands that are driving the electric vehicle industry:
Power MOSFETs
Converters usually contain Inverters with Power MOSFETs or IGBTs to drive the electric motor. GD Rectifi ers offers a broad range of power MOSFETs suitable for the automotive industry by semiconductor manufacturers IXYS and Semikron.
Today’s semiconductors are driving the next generation of electric vehicles. Semiconductors are used in a wide variety of functions suited to electric vehicles, including touch-screen interactivity with the driver and passengers and power electric batteries and components in the power train. The more digitally advanced EV, the more semiconductors it will require. As features like autonomous driving and blind-spot detection become more widespread, the automotive market will need access to more semiconductors, putting more demand on the component market. The average amount of semiconductor components used in EVs are rapidly growing, putting a strain on the industry and its supply chain. Industry-leading car manufacturers are devoting their time to automotive innovations and are strongly focusing on EVs, setting aggressive sales targets. For example BMW wants EVs to make up 15-25% of sales by 2025 and Honda are aiming for two-thirds of its sales by 2030.
24 September 2021
IXYS offers an extensive range of half bridge modules available in ISOPLUS i4-PACTM packaging. These devices are suitable for applications utilising power semiconductor devices that require heatsink grounding methods and provide unsurpassed thermal performance and temperature cycling capabilities. Semikron offers a SEMITOP E1 IGBT module package with low commutation inductance design and the choice of the latest Si and SiC chip technologies making it suitable for EV battery chargers. Semikron’s SEMITOP product range provides maximum reliability and offers a large variety of confi gurations, including 3-level (NPC/TNPC) and CIB (converter-inverter brake) topologies.
IGBTs (Insulated-gate bipolar transistors)
IGBTs play an integral role in the development of electric vehicles and comprise of the largest segment of the semiconductor market for EV power systems. IGBTs are a high-voltage, high-current switch connected directly to the
Components in Electronics
traction motor in an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. They are ideal for EVs because of their high effi ciency and fast switching, reducing power loss to wasted heat which results in a better mileage per watt of energy. IXYS offers a wide range of XPT (extreme- light punch-through) IGBTs designed for electric vehicles, including: 600V XPT Planar, 650V XPT Planar, 650V XPT Trench, 900V XPT Planar and 1200V XPT Planar. IXYS provided high voltage IGBTs to Tesla Motors for the Roadster EV in 2006 and the IXYS power MOSFETs and IGBTs are frequently used for car windows, fans, seats, AC, power steering, DC/DC, audio amplifi ers, window tinting and power ABS.
Semikron’s latest generation 7 IGBTs are designed specifi cally for motor drive applications. They provide major reductions in forward voltage drop, allow for smaller chip sizes and increase power density by up to 45% due to the nominal current ratings in the same module package.
Dynex has developed a number of technologies specifi cally for EV applications, including double-sided cooled IGBT modules with wire-bondless design and active gate driver technologies. Dynex also offers a wide range of SiC diodes and MOSFETs, IGBT gate drivers and custom electric vehicles systems.
SiC Schottky diodes
IXYS’ SiC Schottky diodes offer impressive switching performance compared to existing discrete SiC solutions. The ISOPLUS package offers a low thermal resistance whilst providing integrated isolation with up to 3000V. SiC Schottky diodes allow EV designers to embrace faster switching speeds and greater power density enabling smaller, lighter builds and more effi cient motors.
ectifi e diodes and ides IXYS’ complete range of rectifi er bridges are used throughout the automotive industry, including rectifi er bridges (single and three phase), half and full controlled bridges (single
and three phase), 3-phase bridges with IGBT and diode brake unit, 3-phase bridges with standard or semifast diodes and integrated softstart thyristors. Alongside rectifi er bridges, IXYS provides a comprehensive range of semiconductors designed for electric vehicle battery switching, including: Trench-Gate power MOSFETs with HiPerFET options, H-Bridge MOSFETs, NPT Discrete IGBTs, PT IGBTs, Converter-Brake Inverters (CBI) IGBT modules, Six-Pack IGBT modules, Full Bridge IGBT modules, phase-leg IGBT modules, HiPerDYN FRED ultra-fast diodes, SONIC-FRD fast recovery diodes, fast recovery (FRED) diodes, FRED & HiPerFRED modules, XPT IGBTs, XPT IGBT modules and SMPD MOSFETs. Semikron’s rectifi er bridges are used in key automotive applications such as battery chargers, motor drive input rectifi ers, power supplies, DC motor control, rectifi ers with PFC, AC controllers and static switches for natural convection or forced cooling. Semikron’s rectifi er bridges are recommended for forced and natural air cooling, are easy to mount with or without a heatsink, feature an isolated case, high surge current and fast-on or lead connectors.
Protection devices GD Rectifi ers partner with Enerdoor to provide an extensive range of surge arresters and EMI, RFI and EMC fi lters used in conjunction with single or multiple variable frequency drives (VFDs) and servo drives. Mersen offers a wide range of products and solutions covering all aspects of in-board and off-board safety and power management for electric vehicles, including DC fuses and surge arresters designed for charging stations. GD Rectifi ers also offers single phase and three phase voltage regulators designed to match the output voltage or generator to the electrical load and charging requirements of the battery for motor vehicles.
www.gdrectifi
ers.co.uk www.cieonline.co.uk
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