News: Microelectronics
22 January 2025
Wolfspeed launches Gen 4 MOSFET technology platform
Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has introduced its new Gen 4 technology platform, which is said to enable design rooted in durability and efficiency, while reducing system cost and development time. Engineered to simplify switching behaviors and design challenges commonly experienced in high-power designs, Gen 4 charts a long-term roadmap across Wolfspeed’s product categories, including power modules, discrete components, and bare die products. These products are currently available in the 750V, 1200V and 2300V classes.
“Each application’s design comes with a unique set of requirements,” notes Jay Cameron, senior VP of Wolfspeed power products. “From its inception, our goal for Gen 4 has been to improve overall system efficiency in real-world operating environments, with a focus on delivering maximum performance at the system level,” he adds. “Gen 4 enables design engineers to create more efficient, longer-lasting systems that perform well in tough operating environments at a better overall system cost.”
Silicon carbide technology is one of the fastest growing components of both the power device market and the greater semiconductor industry. A superior alternative to silicon, it is ideal for high-power applications – such as electric vehicle (EV) powertrains, e-mobility, renewable energy systems, battery energy storage systems, and AI data centers – that unlocks improved performance and lower system costs.
Wolfspeed says that, as the USA and the globe pursue more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions to meet the ever-increasing need for high-voltage energy sources, it is crucial that the USA continues to make strategic investments, while continuing to spur American innovation in critical technologies.
Wolfspeed is the only silicon carbide producer with both silicon carbide material and silicon carbide device fabrication facilities based in the USA, a factor that is becoming increasingly important under the new US Administration’s increased focus on national security and investment in US semiconductor production.
“Innovative technology unlocks business opportunity,” says Devin Dilley, president & chief product officer at US-based utility-scale inverter manufacturer EPC Power. “Wolfspeed’s new Gen 4 SiC technology is enabling EPC Power to make a paradigm shift in how energy is created and stored globally,” he adds.
“Our Gen 4 platform will be delivered via our highly efficient 200mm wafers, which will enable us to deliver products on a scale and level of yield not seen in this industry before,” says Wolfspeed’s executive chairman Tom Werner.
Wolfspeed’s Gen 4 platform was designed to comprehensively improve system efficiency and prolong application life, even in the harshest of environments, while helping to reduce system cost and development time. The technology should deliver significant performance enhancements for designers of high-power automotive, industrial and renewable energy systems, with key benefits including:
- Holistic system efficiency: Delivering up to a 21% reduction in on-resistance at operating temperatures with up to 15% lower switching losses.
- Durability: Ensuring reliable performance, including a short-circuit withstand time of up to 2.3µS to provide additional safety margin.
- Lower system cost: Streamlining design processes to reduce system costs and development time.
Wolfspeed’s Gen 4 products are available in 750V, 1200V and 2300V nodes, with options for power modules, discrete components, and bare die products. New product introductions, including additional footprints and RDSON ranges, will be available throughout 2025 and early 2026.
Wolfspeed’s new third-generation 1200V MOSFET extends SiC-based power conversion into EV drivetrains
