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The SiC Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) technology has continued to mature, allowing for a wider range of product offerings that are expected to play an important role in the future aerospace and hybrid vehicle system designs. This paper will give an overview of vertical trench SiC JFET technology detailing the high-temperature dc characteristics of the discrete devices also show power module switching behavior up to 100A. Additional characterization of the all-SiC power modules used as solid-state circuit breakers will be given.

A 1200-V, 600-A silicon carbide (SiC) JFET half-bridge module has been developed for drop-in replacement of a 600-V, 600-A IGBT intelligent power module (IPM). Advances in the development of SiC field effect transistors have resulted in reliable high yield devices that can be paralleled and packaged to produce high-voltage and high-current power modules not only competitive with existing IGBT technology but the modules have expanded capabilities. A SiC vertical junction field effect transistor VJFET has been produced with the properties of lower conduction loss, zero tail current, higher thermal conductivity, and higher power density when compared to a similarly rated silicon IGBT or any practical SiC MOSFETs previously reported. Three prototype SiC JFET half-bridge modules with gate drivers have been successfully integrated into a three-phase 30-kW (continuous), 100-kW (intermittent) AC synchronous motor drive designed to control a traction motor in an electric vehicle.