A Half-bridge Evaluation Board for Prototyping Power Converters using Sillicon Carbide (SiC) Switching Devices

Silicon Carbide (SiC) switching devices offer significant advantages compared to Silicon (Si) switching devices, including lower power losses, and higher switching speed. This paper proposes a half-bridge evaluation board to facilitate the testing and development of various power converter topologies for R&D purposes. The half-bridge module can be configured to test a wide range of DC/DC converter topologies, and multiple half-bridge modules can be stacked in series or parallel to form different DC/AC power converter topologies. The board is flexible for evaluating various SiC MOSFETs, IGBTs, and Schottky diodes in the TO-247 package. It incorporates isolated power supplies and highly integrated smart gate drivers with numerous features to prevent damage to the power switching devices under abnormal operating conditions. Additionally, the board includes featured indicators to notify the user of faults. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the board's features, utilization, and design considerations, along with testing results to showcase its performance. The evaluation board serves as a valuable tool for researchers and engineers involved in the development and evaluation of power converters utilizing SiC technology.