In 2020, when most fast charging source manufacturers are still exploring the 65W gallium nitride fast charging market,Baseus pioneered the industry's first 120W gallium nitride + silicon carbide fast charging charger. It was this product that turned "silicon carbide fast charging" from an idea into a reality for the first time, opening the door to the commercial use of silicon carbide in the field of fast charging.

Subsequently,MOMAX、REMAXOther manufacturers have followed suit and launched a variety of 100-watt high-power fast charging sources based on silicon carbide, which has also allowed more and more industry insiders and consumers to have a better understanding of silicon carbide.

1. Official announcement: Silicon carbide is included in the 14th Five-Year Plan

On March 13, 2021, Xinhuanet published the "The Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Outline of Long-term Goals for 2035". In the field of "integrated circuits", silicon carbide,gallium nitrideSemiconductors with wide bandgaps must be developed.

Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are both third-generation semiconductor wide-bandgap semiconductor materials. The fact that they can be nominated in the "14th Five-Year Plan" shows that their importance has risen to the national level. I believe that with the help of the country, the country will quickly form an environment suitable for the development of third-generation semiconductors, and the prospects are worth looking forward to.

2. Advantages of silicon carbide for fast charging

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound of carbon and silicon. Silicon carbide single crystal material currently uses the physical vapor transport (PVT) method. At high temperatures exceeding 2000°C, carbon powder and silicon powder are decomposed into atoms through high temperature, and are deposited on the silicon carbide seed crystal through temperature control to form silicon carbide crystals.

As a third-generation semiconductor material, silicon carbide (SiC) has greater dielectric breakdown strength, faster saturated electron drift speed, and higher thermal conductivity than silicon (Si). Therefore, when used in semiconductor devices, silicon carbide devices have characteristics such as high withstand voltage, high-speed switching, low on-resistance, and high efficiency, which help reduce energy consumption and reduce system size.

Silicon carbide can be widely used in electric vehicles, inverters, rail transit, solar energy, wind power, consumer power supplies and other fields. In recent years, with the popularization of USB PD fast charging technology and the maturity of gallium nitride technology, the high-power fast charging source market has gradually emerged. Silicon carbide diodes have also begun to emerge in the consumer power supply market and have entered a variety of hundred-watt high-power fast charging supply chains, helping fast charging sources achieve higher efficiency and smaller size.

Charging Head Network learned that among high-power fast charging source products,Silicon carbide diodes are mainly used for PFC stage boost rectification; Paired with gallium nitride power devices, the operating frequency of the PFC level can be increased from less than 100KHz in traditional fast charging to 300KHz, thereby reducing the volume of the boost inductor, achieving high power density design, and also greatly improving the efficiency of the power supply.

In switching power supplies, due to the use of large-capacity filter capacitors after rectification, a capacitive load appears. When the capacitor is charged and discharged, a large number of high-order harmonics will be generated in the power grid, causing pollution and interference. People began to introduce PFC circuits into switching power supplies. Switching power supplies with a power of more than 75W are required to add PFC circuits to improve the power factor and correct the load characteristics.

PFC is divided into two types: passive and active. The passive type uses a large inductor for series compensation. Its main disadvantages are large size and low efficiency. With the rapid development of semiconductor devices in recent years, passive PFC has been completely replaced by active PFC. Active PFC uses a PFC controller, switching tube, inductor and diode to form a boost circuit. It has the advantages of small size, wide input voltage range and good power factor compensation effect.

Therefore, silicon carbide has attracted more and more attention in the field of consumer power supplies, and has gradually become the core competitiveness of high-power fast charging products.

3. Silicon carbide suppliers in the fast charging market

Charging Head Network learned through research that there are currently five suppliers of silicon carbide on the market that can be used in the field of high-power USB PD fast charging sources, namely Alpha Power Solutions, Global Power Tyco Tianrun, Maplesemi, SGKS Sen Guoke and PY Pingwei.

The following rankings are in no particular order and are only sorted alphabetically by brand for the convenience of readers.

Alpha Power Solutions

Alpha Power Solutions (APS) was founded in 2017 and moved its headquarters from Hong Kong to Shanghai in 2019. It is the first domestic company to successfully develop silicon carbide 6-inch wafer manufacturing technology. It combines proprietary key SiC processes to focus on manufacturing high-power SiC devices. Up to now, the company has developed more than 30 products and independently owned more than 30 invention and application patents. Currently, the industry's leading mass-produced SiC diode products have a maximum voltage of 3300V and a current of up to 50A.

Alpha Power Solutions is the first domestic company to successfully trial-produce 6-inch silicon carbide wafers in a silicon wafer foundry; the first domestic company to adopt Thinning Technology in the production of silicon carbide diodes; the first domestic company to have its own patented JBS architecture (Buffer JBS); and the first domestic silicon carbide device supplier to be on par with international manufacturers in terms of product performance and quality.

According to reports,Silicon carbide diode ACD06PS065G launched by Chuangneng Power, can be used in solar inverters, AC/DC converters, DC/DC converters and uninterruptible power supplies, etc. It is worth mentioning thatThe device also participated in the development of the industry’s first silicon carbide + gallium nitride fast charge, allowing silicon carbide to be officially commercialized in the field of consumer power supplies.

Tyco Tianrun Semiconductor Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is one of the advocates of the industrialization of silicon carbide (SiC) power devices in China. Tyco Tianrun is committed to the development of China's semiconductor power device manufacturing industry and provides high-quality semiconductor power device products and professional services to global power device consumers.

Tyco Tianrun owns a complete semiconductor process wafer factory in Beijing.And built a 6-inch silicon carbide power chip production line in Liuyang, Hunan, which can realize the manufacturing process of semiconductor power devices on 4/6-inch SiC wafers. As a domestic silicon carbide R&D, production and platform service company, Tyco Tianrun's product line involves basic core technology products, silicon carbide molding products and multiple sets of industry solutions.

At present, Tyco Tianrun's silicon carbide device series of 650V/2A-100A, 1200V/2A-50A, 1700V/5A-50A, 3300V/0.6A-50A and other products have been put into mass production.And launched two silicon carbide diodes dedicated to fast charging PFC circuits, product quality is completely comparable to the advanced level of the international industry.

Tyco Tianrun is promoting SiC power devices to more and wider application fields through joint exploration and development with industry peers, scientific research institutes, and domestic and foreign experts.

Founded in 2014, Mepson Semiconductor is a complete industrial chain company integrating R&D, design, production, sales and service. It is a national high-tech enterprise and mainly engages in power MOS, medium and low voltage MOS, superjunction MOS, silicon carbide MOS, silicon carbide diodes and other series of products.

Mepsen Semiconductor focuses on the design, development, testing and sales of power device products based on advanced Planar VDMOS, Trench MOS, SJMOS, SiC SBD, SiC MOS and other process structures. Taking consumer electronics, industrial fields, new energy fields, etc. as market targets, we are committed to becoming a world-class power component company.

It is understood thatMepson launches silicon carbide diodes for PFC circuits, with a voltage resistance of 650V and a temperature resistance of 175 degrees, it has now entered theMOMAXandREMAXThe supply chain of two well-known accessories brands has been unanimously recognized by customers for its performance.

SGKS Sen Guoke

Shenzhen Senguoke Technology Co., Ltd. was established in November 2013 and is a fabless semiconductor design company. The company is headquartered in Science and Technology Ecological Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, and has R&D and operation centers in Shenzhen and Chengdu.

Since its establishment, Senguoke has launched Vision-ADAS (Advanced Assisted Driving), AI recorders, and power supply series chips, which have been widely used in the automotive and consumer electronics industries. In 2018, the company began to invest in the development of motor drive chips and SiC power devices. In 2020, the products have begun to make their mark on the market.

Senguoke provides overall chip and system solutions in markets such as 4G recorders, ADAS, and smart cat-eye doorbells, providing customers with one-stop services and creating more opportunities for upstream and downstream partners.

PY Pingwei

Chongqing Pingwei Industrial Co., Ltd. is a power semiconductor IDM product company integrating chip design, packaging and testing, application and reliability testing services. With power semiconductor devices as the industrial foundation, the company has established product development, manufacturing and testing platforms for market fields such as intelligent terminals, industrial control, Internet of Things, new energy vehicles, 5G communications, home appliances, satellite Internet, security electronics, green lighting, etc., and provides high-reliability mid-low and high-voltage power devices, modules and other products and system solutions.

Pingwei is located in Liangping Industrial Park, Chongqing, specializing in the production of various semiconductor devices, including rectifier diodes, fast recovery diodes, TVS, Zener diodes, Schottky, rectifier bridges, MOSFETs, IGBTs, synchronous rectifier devices, SiC and GaN devices, etc. It covers an area of ​​240,000 square meters, has a registered capital of 350 million yuan, and a total investment of more than 1.5 billion yuan.

The company has 45 packaging production lines and 6 pilot production lines, and has built an independent controllable semiconductor discrete intelligent manufacturing workshop. It produces and sells 20 billion various power semiconductor devices annually. It is the largest comprehensive supplier of power semiconductor devices supporting power supplies in China.

PFC rectifier circuit application for high-power PD fast charging,Pingwei launches a silicon carbide diode PASC0665GG, with zero reverse recovery/zero forward recovery characteristics, efficient operation, extremely fast switching speed, and switching characteristics that are not affected by temperature.

4. Silicon carbide fast charging case

With its unique properties, silicon carbide has begun to emerge as a high-power, high-density fast charging source and has been favored by many fast charging source companies. Charging Head Network learned from previous dismantlings that there are currentlyBaseus 120W fast charging、MOMAX 100W fast charge,as well asREMAX 100W fast chargeIt was the first to introduce silicon carbide technology, allowing products to achieve higher power density.

1、Baseus 2C1A 120W GaN charger

On February 25, 2020, Baseus launched the world’s first gallium nitride + silicon carbide (GaN + SiC) charger and successfully crowdfunded on kickstarter. This product has a power of up to 120W and is also equipped with 2C1A multi-port output configuration. The gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) used in the Baseus Galio 120W charger are currently the most advanced electronic semiconductor materials. Their high frequency characteristics have advantages in high voltage and large current transmission, which means that higher efficiency, lower heat generation and smaller size can be achieved.

It is understood that the Baseus Galio 120W charger uses a silicon carbide diode from Alpha Power in the PFC rectifier circuit, product model: ACD06PS065G; it is paired with a nano-gallium nitride power device and an ON Semiconductor PFC controller performs active power factor correction.

2、MOMAX 100W 2A2C gallium nitride fast charging charger

Momis 100W 2A2C gallium nitride charger has a square and flat body and is equipped with foldable pins. From the pin design, it also supports the assembly of pins of other specifications, making it portable and suitable for various regions. The charger supports QC, AFC, FCP, SCP, MTK PE+2.0, PD and PPS fast charging protocols, and the two types of interfaces are designed to support blind plugging, so users do not need to deliberately look for fast charging interfaces, making it easy to use. The interface supports 100W, 65W+30W, and Huawei 22.5W fast charging, which is widely supported and highly practical. The entire product is portable and easy to use.

MOMAX's charger uses Mipurson MSD06065V1 silicon carbide diode, Innosec INN650D2 gallium nitride switch tube and NXP PFC controller for active power factor correction. It is understood that Mepsen MSD06065V1 is a 650V voltage-resistant silicon carbide Schottky diode in a TO252 package.

3、REMAX 100W 2A2C gallium nitride fast charging charger

REMAX 100W 2A2C gallium nitride charger adopts a white body shell with matte surface treatment, and the overall look is very simple. The charger is equipped with a total of 4 interfaces, 2A2C, and supports a variety of common fast charging protocols. The USB-C port and USB-A port have a single port maximum output of 100W and 30W respectively, and support multiple ports for simultaneous fast charging, which can meet the charging needs of laptops, mobile phones, tablets, mobile power supplies and other devices.

Charging Head Network learned through disassembly that this charger has a built-in PFC boost circuit and adopts LLC+GaN high-performance architecture. The PFC boost part uses an NXP controller, and selects Mipurson MSD04065G1 silicon carbide diode and Innosec INN650D2 gallium nitride switch tube for rectification. Mipusen MSD04065G1 is a 650V voltage-resistant silicon carbide Schottky diode in TO252 package.

Summary of charging head network

Among traditional PD fast charging sources, especially 100-watt high-power PD fast charging, efficiency has always been an urgent problem for power engineers to solve. In order to achieve product reliability, most chargers have to sacrifice volume and add large-area heat sinks. This also made the product very bulky and the user experience was not perfect; this situation was not alleviated until the third generation semiconductors were officially commercialized in the consumer power field.

Among 100-watt high-power fast charging products, silicon carbide and gallium nitride are the best partners. They are used together for PFC boosting and rectification in the front-end of the power supply. Compared with traditional silicon devices, not only can the efficiency be improved to achieve the effect of a pole silhouette, but its high-frequency characteristics can be used to reduce the volume of the boost inductor, thereby improving the overall power density of the product.

As the number of high-power devices continues to increase, the market's demand for small-sized, high-power multi-port fast charging is also becoming stronger. On the one hand, it promotes the power architecture from conventional QR toHigh performance PFC+LLCOn the other hand, the transformation has also deepened the dependence of fast charging sources on third-generation semiconductors. Silicon carbide has broader application prospects in the field of consumer power supplies.

As an important branch of the third-generation semiconductor, silicon carbide has been put into production by many manufacturers before. This time, the country has included the third-generation semiconductor in the 14th Five-Year Plan, which is a rare opportunity for the development of silicon carbide.

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