The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has released two new guidelines aimed at improving the evaluation, reliability, and standardization of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors.
The documents, JEP203: Guideline for Short Circuit Evaluation in Power Conversion Transistors and JEP204: Catalog of Stress Procedures for Silicon Carbide Devices for Power Electronic Conversion, were developed by JEDEC’s JC-70.2 Silicon Carbide Subcommittee. Both are available for free download through JEDEC.
The release comes as silicon carbide devices see wider adoption across electric vehicles, industrial drives, renewable energy systems, and power infrastructure. Compared with traditional silicon devices, SiC semiconductors offer higher efficiency, faster switching speeds, and improved performance in demanding operating environments.
JEP203 provides guidance for evaluating the short-circuit capability of power MOSFETs used in power conversion systems. JEDEC said the guideline is intended to improve testing consistency, strengthen protection design, and enhance system reliability in applications where power devices operate under demanding conditions.
JEP204 serves as a reference for reliability, environmental, and ruggedness testing of SiC power devices. The publication brings together stress procedures used across the industry and provides a common framework for manufacturers and qualification engineers to assess long-term device performance.
Industry participants described the documents as an important step toward broader adoption of silicon carbide technology.
“JEP203 and JEP204 are landmark guidelines for SiC power conversion, enabling the industry to confidently adopt silicon carbide in demanding power electronic applications,” said Dr. Donald Gajewski, Senior Director of Reliability Engineering at Wolfspeed and chair of the 702_1 Task Group.
He said JEP204 provides a comprehensive framework of best practices for stressing SiC power devices and reflects years of collaboration between industry stakeholders.
Dr. Thomas Aichinger, Senior Principal Engineer for SiC Technology Development at Infineon Technologies and vice-chair of the JC-70.2 subcommittee, said standardization is essential as the industry transitions toward silicon carbide.
“The release of JEP203 and JEP204 delivers clear guidelines for short-circuit protection design and a unified stress-test framework for long-term SiC reliability,” Aichinger said.
Founded in 2017, the JC-70 committee focuses on standards and best practices for wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies. JEDEC said the new publications are expected to help improve industry alignment, accelerate qualification processes, and strengthen confidence in next-generation SiC-based power electronics.
