SBIR-STTR Award

Mikro Systems, Inc (Mikro) has a breakthrough manufacturing technology that can dramatically reduce the time and cost of designing, prototyping, and testing advanced high-temperature turbine components. The gas turbine industry needs rapid and cost effective prototyping methods to produce advanced high- temperature parts from application specific materials that can be used in hot test rigs and test engines. Current layered manufacturing techniques (LMTs) cannot produce parts from relevant materials needed for high-temperature turbine components. The proposed rapid manufacturing method combines the best aspects of rapid prototyping technologies to quickly produce tooling, with a robust manufacturing process to cast and then sinter powdered metal parts that can perform at high operating temperatures. This method changes the game by completely eliminating some of the most costly and time consuming process steps, such as machining and investment casting, and for the first time enables the possibility of having numerous design / development test iterations for new parts. Through previous SBIR and commercial work Mikro has direct R & amp;D experience with the most critical aspects of the proposed work plan which mitigates technical risks and increases the likelihood of success. Mikro has successfully commercialized two SBIR funded technologies and its proposed Rapid Manufacturing Method has a high likelihood and clear path for commercial transition through an established license agreement with Siemens Energy.

For the batteries, PM motor and electric drive train while simultaneously reducing weight. Increasing the drive train conversion efficiency has a significant impact as it extends battery life, vehicle range and allows for a reduction of heavy cooling components through the reduction of heat generating losses. Therefore much attention is placed on increasing the efficiency of the traction power inverter that drives the electric motor. It is well documented that inverter efficiency and power density can be increased while simultaneously reducing weight through the use of Silicon Carbide (SiC) wide bandgap semiconductors. For example, demonstrations of inverters utilizing SiCJFETs and SiCMOSFETs are emerging, where the efficiencies are reaching >99% with 10X increased power densities. However, today’s electric vehicle motor drive applications require high current (200400A) power modules. SiC devices have been limited to lower current (<50A) due to the material defects, lower yields and higher costs associated with large area devices. For the electric vehicle traction inverters, it is of great interest to push up the SiC device current to 100200A per device to make full use of the SiC system. Material defect densities have dropped dramatically in recent years as the commercial acceptance of the SiC Schottky diode have driven higher volume and more state of the art semiconductor fabrication. To address topic 17b, USCi proposes in Phase II to fabricate 200A 650V and 1200V 100A SiC Schottky Diodes on 6” diameter wafers. The high current diodes will complete reliability automotive qualifications in Phase II. The diodes will be copackaged with Si switches to form hybrid modules and benefits estimated. When integrated, the SiC diodes will increase the efficiency of electric motor power conversion from the battery to the drive train.

Keywords:
Silicon Carbide, Diodes, Electric Vehicle, Inverters, High Current