Looking to accelerate the adoption of 800 volt and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices in electric vehicles (EVs), Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors N.V. and ZF Friedrichshafen AG are collaborating on SiC-based traction inverters.
The solutions use NXP’s GD316x high voltage isolated gate drivers that can help extend the range of EVs to reduce the number of charging stops while lowering system level costs to automotive OEMs. The GD316x gate drivers integrate several programmable control, diagnostic, monitoring and protection features while in a smaller footprint in system design.
Additionally, NXP said the devices reduce electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) noise while reducing switching energy losses for better efficiency.
The importance of traction inverters
According to the companies, traction inverters are critical for EV electric powertrain. These devices convert DC voltage from the battery into a time-varying AC voltage to drive the EV motor.
With traction investors migrating to SiC-based designs, when paired with high voltage isolated gate drivers these devices offer advantages over silicon-based IGBTs and MOSFET power switches like:
- Higher switching frequency
- Lower conduction losses
- Better thermal characteristics
- Higher robustness at high voltages
