Enhancing Power Electronic Devices with Wide Bandgap Semiconductors
ENHANCING POWER ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH WIDE BANDGAP
SEMICONDUCTORS
BY
SUNEEL KUMAR M-TECH(POWER ELECTRONICS)
Silicon carbide (SiC) unipolar devices have much higher breakdown voltages than silicon (Si) unipolar devices because of the ten times greater electric field strength of SiC compared with Si. 4HSiC unipolar devices have higher switching speeds due to the higher bulk mobility of 4H-SiC compared to other polytypes. In this paper, four commercially available SiC Schottky diodes with different voltage and current ratings, VJFET, and MOSFET samples have been tested to characterize their performance at different temperatures ranging from −50°C to 175°C. Their forward characteristics and switching characteristics in this temperature range are presented. The characteristics of the SiC Schottky diodes are compared with those of a Si pn diode with comparable ratings
Keywords: SiC; MOSFET; JFET; Schottky diode.
Introduction
With the increase in demand for more efficient, higher power, and higher temperature operation of power converters, design engineers face the challenge of increasing the efficiency and power density of converters. Development in power semiconductors is vital for achieving the design goals set by the industry. Si power devices have reached their theoretical limits in terms of higher temperature and higher power operation by virtue of the physical properties of the material. To overcome these limitations, research has focused on wide band gap materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and diamond because of their superior material advantages such as large band gap, high thermal conductivity, and high critical breakdown field strength. Diamond is the ultimate material for power devices because of its more than ten-fold better electrical properties; however, the diamond manufacturing process is still in its infancy. Considering
SEMICONDUCTORS
BY
SUNEEL KUMAR M-TECH(POWER ELECTRONICS)
Silicon carbide (SiC) unipolar devices have much higher breakdown voltages than silicon (Si) unipolar devices because of the ten times greater electric field strength of SiC compared with Si. 4HSiC unipolar devices have higher switching speeds due to the higher bulk mobility of 4H-SiC compared to other polytypes. In this paper, four commercially available SiC Schottky diodes with different voltage and current ratings, VJFET, and MOSFET samples have been tested to characterize their performance at different temperatures ranging from −50°C to 175°C. Their forward characteristics and switching characteristics in this temperature range are presented. The characteristics of the SiC Schottky diodes are compared with those of a Si pn diode with comparable ratings
Keywords: SiC; MOSFET; JFET; Schottky diode.
Introduction
With the increase in demand for more efficient, higher power, and higher temperature operation of power converters, design engineers face the challenge of increasing the efficiency and power density of converters. Development in power semiconductors is vital for achieving the design goals set by the industry. Si power devices have reached their theoretical limits in terms of higher temperature and higher power operation by virtue of the physical properties of the material. To overcome these limitations, research has focused on wide band gap materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and diamond because of their superior material advantages such as large band gap, high thermal conductivity, and high critical breakdown field strength. Diamond is the ultimate material for power devices because of its more than ten-fold better electrical properties; however, the diamond manufacturing process is still in its infancy. Considering