Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced the upcoming release of six new J3-Series power semiconductor modules for various electric vehicles (xEVs), featuring either a silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) or an RC-IGBT (Si), with compact designs and scalability for use in the inverters of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). All six J3-Series products will be available for sample shipments from March 25.

The new power modules will be exhibited at the 38th Electronics R&D, Manufacturing and Packaging Technology Expo (NEPCON JAPAN 2024) from January 24 to 26 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan, as well as other exhibitions in North America, Europe, China and additional locations.

As power semiconductors capable of efficiently converting electricity expand and diversify in response to decarbonization initiatives, the demand is increasing for SiC power semiconductors offering significantly reduced power loss. In the xEV sector, power semiconductor modules are used widely in power conversion devices such as inverters for xEV drive motors. In addition to extending the cruising range of xEVs, compact, high-power, high-efficiency modules are needed to further downsize batteries and inverters. However, due to the high safety standards set for xEVs, power semiconductors used in drive motors must be more reliable than those used in general industrial applications.

The development of these SiC products was partially supported by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Key features

• About 60% smaller modules compared to existing products - The J3 transfer molded power module (J3-T-PM) can be soldered to a heat sink, resulting in about 30% lower thermal resistance and a size that is about 60% smaller than a comparable existing power module,2 which will contribute to smaller xEV inverters. Thanks to downsizing, the inductance of the J3-T-PM is about 30% less than that of the existing module, supporting high-speed switching. Using multiple J3-T-PMs in parallel further reduces the inductance.
• SiC-MOSFETs for EVs and PHEVs offering extended range and lower electricity costs - Two types of semiconductor elements are used: SiC-MOSFETs and RC-IGBTs (Si). The trench SiC-MOSFET combines low loss and high-speed drive, enabling smaller inverters with less power loss, resulting in EVs and PHEVs offering extended range and lower electricity costs. The RC-IGBT (Si) uses a new structure that combines an IGBT and a freewheeling diode (FWD) on a single chip for smaller modules with improved heat dissipation, contributing to smaller xEV inverters.
• A comprehensive lineup with various J3-T-PM combinations for scalable xEV inverter designs - The J3-HEXA-S has three J3-T-PMs and the J3-HEXA-L has six J3-T-PMs, both fitted with proprietary new pin-type aluminum fins to suit various designs for xEV inverters. The J3-HEXA-L reduces thermal resistance by about 20% versus a comparable existing power module and is about 65% smaller than another comparable existing power module, while the J3-HEXA-S is about 60% smaller than a comparable existing module.