Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) will begin shipping samples of a silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) bare die for use in drive-motor inverters of electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and other electric vehicles (xEVs).

Mitsubishi Electric’s first standard-specification SiC-MOSFET power semiconductor chip will enable the company to respond to the diversification of inverters for xEVs and contribute to the growing popularity of these vehicles.

The new SiC-MOSFET bare die for xEVs combines a proprietary chip structure and manufacturing technologies to contribute to decarbonization by enhancing inverter performance, extending driving range and improving energy efficiency in xEVs.

Mitsubishi Electric’s new power semiconductor chip is a proprietary trench SiC-MOSFET that reduces power loss by about 50% compared to conventional planar SiC-MOSFETs. Due to proprietary manufacturing technologies, such as a gate oxide film process that suppresses fluctuations in power loss and on-resistance, the new chip achieves long-term stability to contribute to inverter durability and xEV performance.

Advanced miniaturization technology, cultivated in Mitsubishi Electric’s manufacture of Si power semiconductor chips, helps reduce on-resistance compared to conventional planar SiC-MOSFETs. Oblique ion implantation instead of conventional vertical ion implantation reduces switching loss.