A Comprehensive Study on the Avalanche Breakdown Robustness of Silicon Carbide Power MOSFETs

Asad Fayyaz, Gianpaolo Romano, Jesus Urresti, Michele Riccio, Alberto Castellazzi, Andrea Irace and Nick Wright
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Asad Fayyaz: Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Gianpaolo Romano: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
Jesus Urresti: Emerging Technologies and Materials Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Michele Riccio: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
Alberto Castellazzi: Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Andrea Irace: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
Nick Wright: Emerging Technologies and Materials Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: This paper presents an in-depth investigation into the avalanche breakdown robustness of commercial state-of-the-art silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs comprising of functional as well as structural characterization and the corresponding underlying physical mechanisms responsible for device failure. One aspect of robustness for power MOSFETs is determined by its ability to withstand energy during avalanche breakdown. Avalanche energy ( E AV ) is an important figure of merit for all applications requiring load dumping and/or to benefit from snubber-less converter design. 2D TCAD electro-thermal simulations were performed to get important insight into the failure mechanism of SiC power MOSFETs during avalanche breakdown.

Keywords: avalanche breakdown; silicon carbide (SiC); wide band-gap (WBG); power MOSFET; unclamped inductive switching (UIS); failure mechanism; leakage current (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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