EPE Association: EPE 1993 - 07 - Lecture Session L3a: DEVICES: STRUCTURE, AVALANCHE AND FAST DIODES

EPE 1993 - 07 - Lecture Session L3a: DEVICES: STRUCTURE, AVALANCHE AND FAST DIODES
You are here: EPE Documents > 01 - EPE & EPE ECCE Conference Proceedings > EPE 1993 - Conference > EPE 1993 - 07 - Lecture Session L3a: DEVICES: STRUCTURE, AVALANCHE AND FAST DIODES

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   AVALANCHE CAPABILITY OF TODAY`S POWER SEMICONDUCTORS
By R. Borras; P. Aloïsi; D. Shumate [View]
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Abstract: Power semiconductors are used to switch high currents in fractions of a second and therefore belong inherently to a world of voltage spikes. To avoid unnecessary breakdown voltage guardbands, new generations of semiconductors are now avalanche rugged and characterized in avalanche energy. This characterization is often far from application conditions and thus quite useless to the designer. It is easy to verify that an energy rating is not the best approach to a ruggedness quantification because of avalanche energy fluctuations with test conditions. A physical and thermal analysis of the failure mechanisms leads to a new characterization method generating easy-to-use data for safe designs. The short-term avalanche capability will be discussed with an insight of the different technologies developed to meet these new ruggedness requirements.

   TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURE OF INTEGRATED PLANAR LC STRUCTURES FOR POWER ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS
By M. C. Smit; J. A. Ferreira; J. D. van Wyk; M. Ehsani [View]
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Abstract: A new approach to the manufacture of electromagnetic integrated reactive components is presented. In this paper an analysis based on transmission line equations is applied to the planar LC structures and a complete thermal analysis is included. Details of practical technology for integrated planar LC structures operating at high power levels will be presented.

   THE CHARGE INJECTION CONTROL (CIC) DIODES: AN ORIGlNAL CONCEPT TO IMPROVE FAST POWER RECTIFIERS
By P. Hampikian; Z. Khatir [View]
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Abstract: An original concept of fast rectifier is presented based on the charge injection control (CIC). Unlike the classical concept of fast rectifier, CIC diodes have a long carrier lifetime in the bulk and the minimisation of the stored charge is obtained by a low injection efficiency of emitters (which thickness are lower than 0.7μm). The main assets of CIC to fast rectifiers are: a) a beller trade-off between stored charge and forward voltage drop at high current densities, b) a very low influence of the temperature on the electrical performances especially leakage current. Some experimental results compare the static and dynamic performances of the CIC diode versus an equivalent classical fast diode. Numerical simulations based on fundamental carrier transport equations have been performed to investigate the electrical behaviour and characteristics of these diodes.

   A HYBRID FAST POWER DIODE WITH STRONGLY IMPROVED REVERSE RECOVERY
By H. Schlangenotto; M. Füllmann [View]
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Abstract: It is shown that the reverse recovery behaviour of a (bipolar) power diode can be strongly improved by splitting the diode area into two domains, D1, D2, which have different base widths. The domain D1 of this "hybrid diode" has a small base width, w1, just sufficient for the desired blocking voltage, the domain D2 a much larger base width, w2, needed for soft recovery. The two domains are designed by area and carrier lifetime in a manner, that the main portion of the forward current flows through the thin-base domain D1, the current through D2 being approximately by a factor (w1/w2)² smaller. Compared with recent fast diode concepts, a reduction of the recovery charge by a factor of about 3 can be obtained in this way without loss in softness. Adding a small-area thick-base diode, a main thin-base diode which itself is very fast but snappy, can be made soft without noticeable increase of the maximum reverse current. Analytical estimates, numerical simulations and experimental results are presented.

EPE 1993 - 07 - Lecture Session L3a: DEVICES: STRUCTURE, AVALANCHE AND FAST DIODES
You are here: EPE Documents > 01 - EPE & EPE ECCE Conference Proceedings > EPE 1993 - Conference > EPE 1993 - 07 - Lecture Session L3a: DEVICES: STRUCTURE, AVALANCHE AND FAST DIODES
	[return to parent folder]

	AVALANCHE CAPABILITY OF TODAY`S POWER SEMICONDUCTORS By R. Borras; P. Aloïsi; D. Shumate	[View] [Download]
Abstract: Power semiconductors are used to switch high currents in fractions of a second and therefore belong inherently to a world of voltage spikes. To avoid unnecessary breakdown voltage guardbands, new generations of semiconductors are now avalanche rugged and characterized in avalanche energy. This characterization is often far from application conditions and thus quite useless to the designer. It is easy to verify that an energy rating is not the best approach to a ruggedness quantification because of avalanche energy fluctuations with test conditions. A physical and thermal analysis of the failure mechanisms leads to a new characterization method generating easy-to-use data for safe designs. The short-term avalanche capability will be discussed with an insight of the different technologies developed to meet these new ruggedness requirements.

	TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURE OF INTEGRATED PLANAR LC STRUCTURES FOR POWER ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS By M. C. Smit; J. A. Ferreira; J. D. van Wyk; M. Ehsani	[View] [Download]
Abstract: A new approach to the manufacture of electromagnetic integrated reactive components is presented. In this paper an analysis based on transmission line equations is applied to the planar LC structures and a complete thermal analysis is included. Details of practical technology for integrated planar LC structures operating at high power levels will be presented.

	THE CHARGE INJECTION CONTROL (CIC) DIODES: AN ORIGlNAL CONCEPT TO IMPROVE FAST POWER RECTIFIERS By P. Hampikian; Z. Khatir	[View] [Download]
Abstract: An original concept of fast rectifier is presented based on the charge injection control (CIC). Unlike the classical concept of fast rectifier, CIC diodes have a long carrier lifetime in the bulk and the minimisation of the stored charge is obtained by a low injection efficiency of emitters (which thickness are lower than 0.7μm). The main assets of CIC to fast rectifiers are: a) a beller trade-off between stored charge and forward voltage drop at high current densities, b) a very low influence of the temperature on the electrical performances especially leakage current. Some experimental results compare the static and dynamic performances of the CIC diode versus an equivalent classical fast diode. Numerical simulations based on fundamental carrier transport equations have been performed to investigate the electrical behaviour and characteristics of these diodes.

	A HYBRID FAST POWER DIODE WITH STRONGLY IMPROVED REVERSE RECOVERY By H. Schlangenotto; M. Füllmann	[View] [Download]
Abstract: It is shown that the reverse recovery behaviour of a (bipolar) power diode can be strongly improved by splitting the diode area into two domains, D1, D2, which have different base widths. The domain D1 of this "hybrid diode" has a small base width, w1, just sufficient for the desired blocking voltage, the domain D2 a much larger base width, w2, needed for soft recovery. The two domains are designed by area and carrier lifetime in a manner, that the main portion of the forward current flows through the thin-base domain D1, the current through D2 being approximately by a factor (w1/w2)² smaller. Compared with recent fast diode concepts, a reduction of the recovery charge by a factor of about 3 can be obtained in this way without loss in softness. Adding a small-area thick-base diode, a main thin-base diode which itself is very fast but snappy, can be made soft without noticeable increase of the maximum reverse current. Analytical estimates, numerical simulations and experimental results are presented.