Blog & Press Releases

New research demonstrates how combining silicon IGBTs and silicon carbide MOSFETs can reduce power losses while optimizing semiconductor costs in high-efficiency converter applications.

Researchers from China Southern Power Grid have developed an improved three-level active neutral-point-clamped (3L-ANPC) converter that combines silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices. The proposed design delivers higher conversion efficiency, improved thermal management, and a more balanced cost structure compared with conventional converter configurations.

The findings, published in Frontiers in Energy Research in October 2026, highlight the potential of hybrid Si/SiC switching technology for industrial power conversion systems.

Combining the Strengths of Silicon and Silicon Carbide

Silicon IGBTs remain widely used in industrial power electronics because of their established reliability, high current-handling capability, and relatively low manufacturing cost.

Silicon carbide MOSFETs, meanwhile, offer faster switching speeds, lower switching losses, and improved performance at elevated operating frequencies. However, their higher cost can limit adoption in applications requiring large numbers of high-power semiconductor devices.

Hybrid switching technology addresses this challenge by combining a silicon IGBT with a SiC MOSFET. The objective is to use each semiconductor where its electrical characteristics provide the greatest benefit.

By properly coordinating the switching sequence, a hybrid configuration can significantly reduce energy losses without requiring an entirely SiC-based converter.

An Improved Three-Level Converter Design

The research introduces a converter architecture known as the H-Si/SiC 3L-HANPC, which strategically places hybrid switching devices in the inner and clamping positions of the circuit.

Two design improvements contribute to its performance:

1. Optimized switching control

The SiC MOSFET handles the primary high-frequency switching transitions, while the silicon IGBT provides an efficient current conduction path. Coordinated gate-drive timing minimizes switching losses associated with the IGBT.

2. Reduced conduction losses

During the zero-voltage operating state, both clamping branches conduct simultaneously. This creates parallel current paths, reducing equivalent conduction resistance and associated power losses.

Together, these improvements address limitations found in earlier hybrid converter topologies.

Experimental Results Demonstrate Higher Efficiency

The researchers evaluated the proposed topology using a three-phase experimental converter operating with a 400 V DC bus and a 40 kHz switching frequency.

The results showed:

Approximately 1.5% higher efficiency than the conventional silicon-based reference at unity power factor.

An efficiency improvement of approximately 0.2% compared with leading conventional hybrid topologies.

Improved performance across different load conditions and power factors.

Better thermal distribution among semiconductor switching positions.

Thermal simulations also indicated that the optimized device arrangement could reduce inner-switch junction temperatures by approximately 2°C to 12°C compared with a cost-optimized conventional configuration.

Reducing Semiconductor Costs Through Selective Device Placement

One particularly important finding concerns semiconductor selection.

Instead of using identical Si/SiC hybrid switches throughout the converter, the researchers selected different device ratings according to the electrical demands of each switching position.

Higher-performance hybrid switches were assigned to the inner positions, where current stress and switching losses are greater. Lower-cost devices were used in the clamping positions, where operating demands are less severe.

This differentiated strategy reduced semiconductor costs compared with a conventional high-efficiency hybrid configuration while maintaining competitive conversion efficiency.

The research demonstrates that optimizing the placement and ratings of power semiconductor devices can be as important as selecting the semiconductor material itself.

Implications for Industrial Power Electronics

The findings are relevant to several applications requiring efficient, high-frequency power conversion, including:

Solar photovoltaic inverters

Industrial motor drives

Railway traction converters

Energy storage power conversion systems

High-efficiency industrial power supplies

For power electronics manufacturers, hybrid Si/SiC designs offer another approach to balancing performance and manufacturing cost.

Rather than replacing every silicon device with silicon carbide, engineers can selectively introduce SiC technology where reductions in switching losses deliver the greatest value.

Although further validation is needed for large-scale commercial deployment, the research illustrates how hybrid semiconductor architectures could support the next generation of efficient, cost-effective power converters.

Conclusion

The continued development of Si/SiC hybrid switching technology provides an important alternative between conventional silicon-based converters and fully silicon carbide designs.

By combining intelligent switching control with position-specific semiconductor selection, engineers can improve energy efficiency, manage thermal stress, and control component costs.

For the power semiconductor industry, this approach reinforces the continuing importance of both silicon IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs in future power conversion systems.

Research Reference:

Ning Xie et al. (2026). A Three-Level ANPC Converter With Differentiated Si/SiC Hybrid Switches in the Inner and Clamping Positions.

Frontiers in Energy Research, Volume 14.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2026.1786735

Global IGBT & Thyristor Market 2017 - Fairchild Semiconductor, Semikron, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Infineon

Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2017 -- The Global IGBT & Thyristor Market 2017 Industry Research Report is a in-depth study and professional analysis on the current state of the IGBT & Thyristor market.

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http://www.uscomponent.com

Fuji Electric Announces New IPM Modules

Fuji Electric Corp has added the newest Small Intelligent Power Module (IPM) as part of new 7th Generation X-Series Portfolio

The latest Fuji IPM modules come with a control IC providing IGBT drive and protection circuits, making the design of peripheral circuits straightforward and ensuring high system reliability. This new P642 IPM features a product line-up ranging from 50A to 75A at 650V expanding the 15A to 35A at 600V range of the P633A IPM. All Fuji Electric Dual-In-Line Small IPMs come equipped with overcurrent protection, short circuit protection, control power voltage drop protection, and overheating protection, while also outputting alarm signals.

“Fuji Electric continues to expand our offering in the dual-in-line small IPM market and the new P642 series is our latest offering expanding our range to 75A” said James Usack, Division General Manager Electronic Devices Division.

Fuji Electric Corp. of America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and has been responsible for sales and distribution of the company’s products since 1970. Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. began developing power electronics equipment in 1923, and is a global leader in industrial products ranging from semiconductors, HMIs, contactors, relays, and power generation equipment to AC drives and uninterruptible power supply systems.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced today that it

would begin shipping 17 new models of T series power semiconductor modules featuring

seventh-generation insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The new modules have a 1.7kV rating and

realize improved power loss and reliability for general-purpose inverters, uninterruptible power supplies

(UPS), photovoltaic (PV), wind power-generation systems and other industrial equipment.

Product Features include

1) Expanded lineup of 17 models with 1.7kV rating provides for wide range of inverter capacity. 2) Reduced power loss thanks to seventh-generation IGBT and diode. 3) Latest package technology enhances reliability of de facto standard package.

China’s Hopewind selected ABB’s LoPak modules

After two years of stringent testing and one year of field operations, it finally paid off. ABB’s LoPak IGBT module is now qualified by one of the world’s leading wind power converter manufacturers.

Hopewind Electric Co., Ltd based in Shenzhen, China. is scheduled to take volume delivery of LoPak 1700 V / 450 A ABB medium power IGBT modules for use in wind converter applications operating between 1.5 to 2.5 MW (megawatt). This follows a successful collaboration between Hopewind, Sunking (distribution partner in China) and the ABB Power Grids team in Lenzburg, Peking and Manila. The company´s current production phase will generate up to 2,000 MW using wind power, a capacity equivalent to the needs of one million of Swiss households.

ECONODUAL3

Infineon Technologies AG just introduced the new IGBT7 chip for its well-known Easy housing platform. Now it is taking the state-of-the-art TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 to the arena of medium power: in the standard industry package EconoDUAL 3. In this chip technology, the 1200 V module provides a leading nominal current of 900 A enabling a 30 percent higher inverter output current for the same frame size compared with the former technology. it can also be used in construction, commercial and agricultural vehicles (CAV), servo drives, as well as UPS and solar inverters.

Improving the already new micro-pattern trench technology, the TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 chip performs with much lower static losses compared to the IGBT4. Its on-state voltage is reduced by up to 30 percent for the same chip area. bringing significant loss reduction in the application, for industrial drives this is ideal as they usually operate at moderate switching frequencies. The oscillation behavior and the controllability of the IGBT have been improved. The power modules feature a maximum allowed overload junction temperature of 175°C.

Among the other improvements there is the freewheeling diode (FWD) which has also been optimized for drive applications. The forward-voltage drop of the emitter-controlled 7th generation diode (EC7) is now 100 mV lower than the forward-voltage drop of the EC4 diode, with reduced oscillation tendency during diode turn-off, the future looks bright for this kind of technology.

Actualmente y debido a las duras condiciones, los principales fabricantes y distribuidores del mercado

han comenzado a cambiar sus estrategias comerciales para mantener su posición en la plataforma . El

estudio de investigación sobre el mercado global de controladores de puerta MOSFET e IGBT aborda

el estado actualizado de la situacion desde el punto de vista de comercializacion y fabricacion, asi

como tambien los nuevos lanzamientos. Algunos de los mas relevantes que operan en el mercado de

incluyen Infineon Technologies, ON Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, ROHM Semiconductor, NXP

Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Microchip, Power Integrations, Inc., Vishay, Broadcom, Analog

Devices, IXYS, Toshiba, Renesas, Powerex, entre eotras. El dossier incluye un perfil detallado de todos

los fabrficantes en la industria. Los analistas han realizado investigaciones primarias y han incluido

todos los desarrollos recientes que las organizaciones de esta indole están tratando de resolver en esta

situación de COVID-19.

Los mercados mundiales han experimentado un gran cambio en los últimos meses. Estos cambios se

debieron al brote de la pandemia que se detectó por primera vez en la ciudad china de Wuhan. COVID19,

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muchas

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mantener

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social.

Debido

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muchas

de

las

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han

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sus

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mundo.

Se utilizaron diversas metodologías y herramientas de investigación para obtener estadisticas

confiables del desarrollo economico y tecnologico del MOSFET & IGBT Gate Drivers. El informe de

mercado MOSFET & IGBT Gate Drivers incluye los datos históricos de 2016-2019 y las previsiones

de 2020-2026. Se tomó una consideración especial para los años 2019 y 2020 ya que en estos dos años

el entorno experimentó cambios importantes en la plataforma global.

El target de controladores de compuerta MOSFET e IGBT se segrega en los siguientes segmentos

{Controladores de compuerta de un solo canal, Controladores de compuerta de medio puente,

Controladores de compuerta de puente completo, Controladores de compuerta trifásica, Otros};

{Electrodomésticos, automoción, pantallas e iluminación, fuente de alimentación, otros}. Algunos de

los principales segmentos también fueron subsegmentados para un mejor análisis de mercado. La

información numérica para todos los segmentos se investigó y se obtuvo a través de una investigación

primaria y secundaria exhaustiva y se aclararon los datos con la ayuda de los expertos del mercado. La

presencia regional del mercado MOSFET & IGBT Gate Drivers también se incluye en el informe de

mercado MOSFET & IGBT Gate Drivers.

Click <a href="https://youtu.be/lh5kEe3nO8g">here</a> to visit this press release in our Youtube channel.