Advanced SiC and GaN power electronics for automotive systems

A power switching device is one of the key elements to determine the performance of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and pure electric vehicles (EVs). Recently, the power devices using wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as SiC and GaN, have been intensively developed for the future HEVs and EVs. In this paper, we review a role of the power devices in these automotive systems, the required device characteristics, and the recent status of SiC and GaN power devices.