Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Technology: Its impact on the electrification of the transportation industry

THE EFFICIENCY OF ANY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) is limited by the efficiency of its power electronic motor drive. Currently, EVs use conventional silicon (Si) insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or Si metal?oxide?semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technologies. Si technology prevents traction motor drives from exceeding the low switching frequencies (tens of kilohertz) due to excessive switching losses. This is important as the size of passive components (and thus cost) is inversely related to the switching frequency.