Standardisation for use of SiC
Two new JEDEC standards are aiming to help developers use silicon carbide (SiC) switches, writes Nick Flaherty.
The standards from the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association are JEP203: Guideline for Short Circuit Evaluation in Power Conversion Transistors and JEP204: Catalogue of Stress Procedures for Silicon Carbide Devices for Power Electronic Conversion. These were developed by JEDEC’s JC-70.2 Silicon Carbide Subcommittee to support the growing adoption of SiC power semiconductors.
JEP203 provides guidance for evaluating the short-circuit capability of power MOSFETs, helping engineers improve protection design, test consistency and system robustness in applications such as EVs, industrial drives and energy infrastructure.
JEP204 is a comprehensive reference covering reliability, environmental and ruggedness stress procedures for SiC power devices. The publication gives qualification engineers and device manufacturers a common framework for evaluating long-term reliability and performance, helping accelerate industry alignment and increase confidence in next-generation power electronics.
“JEP203 and JEP204 are landmark guidelines for SiC power conversion, enabling the industry to confidently adopt SiC in demanding power electronic applications. JEP204, in particular, provides a comprehensive framework of best practices for stressing SiC power devices, offering significant value to both users and suppliers. Together, these documents reflect years of industry collaboration and mark a historic milestone in advancing the reliability, safety and standardisation of SiC technology,” said Dr Donald Gajewski, Wolfspeed senior director reliability engineering and chair of the 702_1 Task Group.
“As the power electronics industry accelerates its transition to SiC, standardisation is the catalyst for confidence and scale. The release of JEP203 and JEP204 delivers exactly that: clear guidelines for short-circuit protection design and a unified stress-test framework for long-term SiC reliability. These new documents give engineers and manufacturers the tools to design safer systems, validate long-term reliability and align industry practices,” said Dr Thomas Aichinger, senior principal engineer, SiC technology development, Infineon Technologies and vice-chair of the JC-70.2 subcommittee.
The JC-70 committee has over 70 member companies to help advance the adoption of wide bandgap power technologies.
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