The Si2 Compact Model Coalition has voted to fund and standardize a SPICE model for silicon carbide-based metal-on-silicon field-effect transistors. Featuring high efficiency and fast operation with low switching losses, silicon carbide-based metal-on-silicon-field effect transistors are popular in high-growth semiconductor applications such as photovoltaic inverters and converters, industrial motor drives, electric vehicle powertrain and EV charging, and power supply and distribution.
“The newly established CMC SiC Working Group will oversee the model selection and the standardization process as part of advancing Si2’s mission to reduce interoperability costs as a result of establishing such standards,” said Peter Lee, CMC chair. Participating companies include Analog Devices, Cadence Design Systems, Infineon, Qualcomm, Silvaco and Synopsys. The decision to launch the work group came after the CMC evaluated the model’s value for members and interest by the industry at large.
“I would strongly encourage companies with a stake in SiC devices to join this effort and help guide the selection of the model which best represents their intended use,” advised Lee. “They can benefit from both cost reduction that comes from shared model support and a standardized and qualified model that incorporates ongoing requested feature enhancements and bug fixes from many like-minded companies.”
“Next Generation SiC MOSFETS have many features that make them suitable, and even superior to legacy silicon solutions, for several high voltage and power applications. While the devices can handle high-temperature and voltage, with the right drivers the minimal ON-resistance allows smaller packages and better energy savings and stability than comparable silicon devices,” stated Colin Shaw from Silvaco, the SiC working group chair.