An overview of SiC MOSFET gate drivers

Abstract

Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) have started gaining significant importance in various application areas of power electronics. During the last decade, SiC MOSFETs count not only as potential, but more importantly as alternative to silicon counterparts for high efficiency, high switching frequencies and high temperatures applications. Various SiC MOSFET driver designs have been proposed and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed as well. However, the design of gate drivers for SiC MOSFETs is very challenging. In particular, a sophisticated driver design is not only associated with properly switching the MOSFETs and decreasing the switching power losses, but also it must comply with the electromagnetic compatibility. This paper shows an overview of gate drivers for SiC MOSFETs. In particular, the basic operating principle of each driver along with their applicability and drawbacks are presented.