Three years after the launch of the initial SiCRET project, SiCRET+, a project which began in October 2023, is extending the scope of its study to include silicon carbide (SiC) power modules. The aim is to understand the ageing of power modules in normal and degraded operation, and in harsh environments (temperature, humidity, radiation), in order to derive predictive ageing models.
The SICRET project was the first French public-private initiative on a national and European scale entirely dedicated to the reliability of Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based field-effect transistor (MOSFET) power switches.[KB1] [BA2] It brought together the main industrial players in the energy transition value chain, as well as the best laboratories in the field. Thanks to the technical and scientific quality of the consortium, the project was able to attract leading power electronics suppliers such as STMicroelectronics (EU), MITSUBISHI (Japan), Infineon (EU), Rohm (Japan) and Wolfspeed (USA).
In a context of massive electrification of land and air mobility, where the weight and volume of electrical equipment are crucial, this technology, with its exceptional thermal and electrical performance, offers a real alternative to conventional solutions based on silicon technology. It significantly reduces the volume and weight of electrical equipment. However, the adoption of this technology is limited at present because of questions about its reliability in use, due to a lack of long-term data and sufficient knowledge about its main degradation mechanisms. To provide answers, the project developed new test methodologies capable of identifying the main degradation and failure modes of SiC MOSFET switches.
Pour en savoir plus : The SiCRET + project : understanding & preventing the ageing of SiC modules