There are various types of chips, and today I would like to introduce a chip that is closely related to our lives, the IGBT (Insulated-gate bipolar transistor), which is widely used in electric vehicles.

IGBT is a chip used for controlling the output of AC electric motors in electric vehicles, railway locomotives, and multiple units.

IGBT directly controls the conversion of direct and alternating current, determining the torque of the drive system and the maximum output power. Therefore, the acceleration capability of your vehicle, its maximum speed, and energy efficiency all depend on it.

IGBT accounts for about half of the cost of the motor drive system and 5% of the total vehicle cost, making it the second most expensive component in the entire electric vehicle (the battery is the most expensive). It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the "core technology" in the field of electric vehicles.

From a structural perspective, IGBT mainly has three development directions:

1. IGBT vertical structure: non-transparent collector region NPT type, PT type with buffer layer, transparent collector region NPT type, and FS electric field cutoff type;

2. IGBT gate structure: planar gate structure, trench type structure;

3. Silicon wafer processing technology: epitaxial growth technology, zone melting silicon single crystal;

In terms of packaging technology, IGBT modules can mainly be divided into two categories: welding type and crimping type. High-voltage IGBT modules generally use standard welding packaging, while medium and low-voltage IGBT modules have seen many new technologies, such as sintering replacing welding and pressure contact replacing wire bonding in crimping packaging technology.

With the continuous development of IGBT chip technology, the maximum operating junction temperature and power density of the chips are constantly increasing, and the IGBT module technology must adapt accordingly. In the future, IGBT module technology will focus on improvements in "chip backside welding fixation" and "front electrode interconnection."

Main application areas of IGBT

As a mainstream device of new power semiconductor devices, IGBT has been widely used in traditional industries such as industry, 4C (communication, computer, consumer electronics, automotive electronics), aerospace, and national defense military industry, as well as in strategic emerging industries such as rail transportation, new energy, smart grid, and new energy vehicles.

1. New energy vehicles

IGBT modules play a crucial role in electric vehicles, serving as core technology components in electric vehicles and charging piles. IGBT modules account for nearly 10% of the cost of electric vehicles and about 20% of the cost of charging piles. IGBT is mainly applied in the following areas within the electric vehicle sector:

A) Electric control systems drive the vehicle motor after high-power DC/AC inversion;

B) Onboard air conditioning control systems use small power DC/AC inversion, utilizing IGBT and FRD with lower current;

C) Charging piles use IGBT modules as switching components in smart charging piles;

2. Smart grid

IGBT is widely used in the generation, transmission, transformation, and consumption ends of smart grids:

From the generation end, rectifiers and inverters in wind power generation and photovoltaic power generation require the use of IGBT modules.

From the transmission end, FACTS flexible transmission technology in ultra-high voltage direct current transmission requires a large number of power devices such as IGBT.

From the transformation end, IGBT is a key device in power electronic transformers (PET).

From the consumption end, household appliances, microwave ovens, LED lighting drives, etc., have a large demand for IGBT.

3. Rail transportation

IGBT devices have become the mainstream power electronic devices for traction converters and various auxiliary converters in rail transportation vehicles. AC drive technology is one of the core technologies of modern rail transportation, and the traction converter is a key component in the AC drive system, with IGBT being one of the most critical devices in the traction converter.

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