Power Electroni
cs
Chapter 1
Power Electronic Devices
(Part I)
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Outline
1.1 An introductory overview of power electronic devices
1.2 Uncontrolled device — power diode
1.3 Half-controlled device — thyristor
1.4 Typical fully-controlled devices
1.5 Other new power electronic devices
1.6 Drive circuit for power electronic devices
1.7 Protection of power electronic devices
1.8 Series and parallel connections of power electronic
devices
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1.1 An introductory overview of power
electronic devices
The concept and features
Configuration of systems using power electronic devices
Classifications
Major topics
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The concept of power electronic devices
Power electronic devices:
In broad sense
Very often:
Major material used in power semiconductor devices
—— Silicon
are the electronic devices that can be directly used in the power
processing circuits to convert or control electric power.
power electronic devices
Vacuum devices: Mercury arc
rectifier thyratron, etc. . seldom
in use today
Semiconductor devices:
major power electronic devices
Power electronic devices = Power semiconductor devices
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Features of power electronic devices
The electronic power that power electronic device
deals with is usually much larger than that the
information electronic device does.
Usually working in switching states to reduce power
losses
p=vi=0
On-state Voltage across the device is 0
v=0
p=vi=0Off-state Current through the device is 0
i=0
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Features of power electronic devices
Need to be controlled by information electronic circuits.
Very often, drive circuits are necessary to interface
between information circuits and power circuits.
Dissipated power loss usually larger than information
electronic devices — special packaging and heat sink
are necessary.
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Power losses on power semiconductor
devices
O n-state
(conduction state
turning-
off
Off-state
(blocking state)
turning
-on
U
U
U
W
J
Q
= conduction loss + turn-off loss + off-state loss + turn-on loss
Total power loss on
power semiconductor
(on-state loss)
Switching loss
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Configuration of systems using power
electronic devices
Control circuit
detection
circuit
drive
circuit
Power circuit
(power stage,
main circuit)
Control circuit (in a broad sense)
Electric isolation:
optical, magnetic
Power electronic
system:
Protection circuit is also very often used in power electronic
system especially for the expensive power semiconductors.
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Terminals of a power electronic device
$
&
(
A power electronic device
must have at least two
terminals to allow power
circuit current flow through.
A power electronic
device usually has
a third terminal ——
control terminal to
control the states of
the device.
Control signal from drive circuit must be connected between the
` control terminal and a fixed power circuit terminal (therefore
called common terminal ).
Drive
Circuit
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A classification of power electronic devices
Uncontrolled device: diode
(Uncontrollable device)
Fully-controlled device: Power MOSFET, IGBT,GTO, IGCT
(Fully-controllable device)
Half-controlled device: thyristor
(Half-controllable device)
has only two terminals and can not be controlled by control signal.
The on and off states of the device are determined by the power
circuit.
is turned-on by a control signal and turned-off by the power circuit
The on and off states of the device are controlled by control signals.
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Other classifications
power electronic devices
Pulse-triggered devices
Level-sensitive (level-triggered) devices
power electronic devices
power electronic devices
Current-driven (current-controlled) devices
Voltage-driven (voltage-controlled) devices
(Field-controlled devices)
Unipolar devices (Majority carrier devices)
Composite devices
Bipolar devices (Minority carrier devices)
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Major topics for each device
Appearance, structure, and symbol
Physics of operation
Characteristics
Specification
Special issues
Devices of the same family
Static characteristics
Switching characteristics
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Passive components in power electronic
circuit
Transformer, inductor, capacitor and resistor:
these are passive components in a power electronic
circuit since they can not be controlled by control signal and
their characteristics are usually constant and linear.
The requirements for these passive components by power
electronic circuits could be very different from those by
ordinary circuits.
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1.2 Uncontrolled device Power diode
Appearance
Structure
Symbol
Cathode Cathode
KA
Anode
Anode
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PN junction
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
·
+
+
+
+
+
p region n region
Direction of
inner electric field
Space charge
region
(depletion region,
potential barrier
region)
Semiconductor (Column IV element, Si)
Electrons and holes.
Pure semiconductor (intrinsic semiconductor)
Doping, p-type semiconductor. N-type semiconductor
PN junction
Equilibrium of diffusion and drift
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PN junction with voltage applied in the
forward direction
V
O
Q
Wo
W
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PN junction with voltage applied in the reverse
direction
V
O
Q
Wo
W
Effective direction
of electronic field
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Construction of a practical power diode
Features different from low-power (information electronic) diodes
– Larger size
– Vertically oriented structure
– n drift region (p-i-n diode)
– Conductivity modulation
2500 m
Breakdown
voltage dependent
10 0 m
p
Nd =10 cm
n substrate
-319
Na =10 cm
-319+
n epi
Nd =10 cm
-314
+
-
i
Anode
Cathode
V
-
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Forward-biased power diode
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Reverse-biased power diode
Breakdown
– Avalanche breakdown
– Thermal breakdown
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Junction capacitor
The positive and negative charge in the depletion region is
variable with the changing of external voltage.
—–Junction capacitor CJ .
Junction capacitor CJ
Junction capacitor influences the switching characteristics of
power diode.
Diffusion capacitor CD
Potential barrier capacitor CB
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Static characteristics of power diode
I
O
I
F
U
TO
U
F
U
The I-V characteristic of power diode
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Switching (dynamic) characteristics of power
diode
Turn-off transient
I
F
U
F
t
F
t
0
t
rr
t
d
t
f
t
1
t
2
t
U
R
U
RP
I
RP
di
F
dt
di
R
dt
Reverse-recovery process:
Reverse-recovery time, reverse-recovery charge,
reverse-recovery peak current.
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Switching (dynamic) characteristics of power
diode
Turn-on transient
U
FP
u
i
i
F
u
F
t
fr
t0
2V
Forward recovery process:
forward-recovery time
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Specifications of power diode
Average rectified forward current IT(AV)
Forward voltage UF
Peak repetitive reverse voltage URRM
Maximum junction temperature TJM
Reverse-recovery time trr
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General purpose diode (rectifier diode):
Fast recovery diode
Schottky diode (Schottky barrier diode-SBD)
standard recovery
Reverse recovery time and charge specified. trr is usually
less than 10 s, for many less than 100 ns —— ultra-fast
recovery diode.
– A majority carrier device
– Essentially no recovered charge, and lower forward voltage.
– Restricted to low voltage (less than 200V)
Types of power diodes
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Examples of commercial power diodes
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History and applications of power diode
Applied in industries starting 1950s
Still in-use today. Usually working with controlled
devices as necessary components
In many circumstances fast recovery diodes or
schottky diodes have to be used instead of general
purpose diodes.
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1.3 Half-controlled device—Thyristor
History
Another name: SCR—silicon controlled rectifier
Thyristor Opened the power electronics era
– 1956, invention, Bell Laboratories
– 1957, development of the 1st product, GE
– 1958, 1st commercialized product, GE
– Thyristor replaced vacuum devices in almost every power
processing area.
Still in use in high power situation. Thyristor till has the
highest power-handling capability.
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Appearance and symbol of thyristor
Appearance Symbol
Cathode
Anode
Gate
K
G
A
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Structure and equivalent circuit of thyristor
? Structure ? Equivalent circuit
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Physics of thyristor operation
Equivalent circuit: A pnp
transistor and an npn transistor
interconnected together
Positive feedback
Trigger
Can not be turned off by control
signal
Half-controllable
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Quantitative description of thyristor operation
I
c1
=α
1
I
A
+ I
CBO1
1-1
I
c2
=α
2
I
K
+ I
CBO2
1-2
I
K
=I
A
+I
G
1-3
I
A
=I
c
1
+I
c
2
1-4
)(1
21
CBO2CBO1G2
A
αα
α
+?
++
=
III
I
1-5
When I
G
=0, α
1
+α
2
is small.
When I
G
>0, α
1
+α
2
will approach 1, I
A
will be very large.
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Other methods to trigger thyristor on
High voltage across anode and cathode—
avalanche breakdown
High rising rate of anode voltagte — du/dt too high
High junction temperature
Light activation
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Static characteristics of thyristor
Blocking when reverse
biased, no matter if there
is gate current applied
Conducting only when
forward biased and there
is triggering current
applied to the gate
Once triggered on, will be
latched on conducting
even when the gate
current is no longer
applied
Turning off: decreasing
current to be near zero
with the effect of external
power circuit
Gate I-V characteristics
O U
Ak
I
A
I
H
I
G2
I
G1
I
G
0
U
bo
U
DSM
U
DRM
U
RRM
U
RSM
forward
conducting
avalanche
breakdown
reverse
blocking
increasing I
G
forward
blocking
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Switching characteristics of thyristor
Turn-on transient
– Delay time t
d
– Rise time t
r
– Turn-on time t
gt
Turn-off transient
– Reverse recovery
time t
rr
– Forward recovery
time t
gr
– Turn-off time t
q
u
AK
t
t
O
0
t
d
t
r
t
rr
t
gr
U
RRM
I
RM
i
A
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Specifications of thyristor
Peak repetitive forward blocking voltage U
DRM
Peak repetitive reverse blocking voltage U
RRM
Peak on-state voltage U
TM
Average on-state current I
T(AV)
Holding current I
H
Latching up current I
L
Peak forward surge current I
TSM
du/dt
di/dt
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The family of thyristors
Fast switching thyristor—FST
Triode AC switch—TRIAC
(Bi-directional triode thyristor)
Reverse-conducting thyristor Light-triggered (activited) thyristor
—RCT —LTT
I
O
U
I
G
0
K
G
A
A
G
K
(
,
"
G
T
1
T
2
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1.4 Typical fully-controlled devices
1.4.1 Gate-turn-off thyristor —GTO
1.4.2 Giant transistor —GTR
1.4.3 Power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect
transistor — Power MOSFET
1.4.4 Insulated-gate bipolar transistor —IGBT
Features
– IC fabrication technology, fully-controllable, high frequency
Applications
– Begin to be used in large amount in 1980s
– GTR is obsolete and GTO is also seldom used today.
– IGBT and power MOSFET are the two major power
semiconductor devices nowadays.
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A
G K GG
K
N
1
P
1
N
2
N
2
P
2
b)a)
1.4.1 Gate-turn-off thyristor—GTO
Structure Symbol
G
K
A
Major difference from conventional thyristor:
The gate and cathode structures are highly interdigitated, with
various types of geometric forms being used to layout the
gates and cathodes.
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Physics of GTO operation
The basic operation of GTO is the
same as that of the conventional
thyristor.
The principal differences lie in the
modifications in the structure to
achieve gate turn-off capability.
– Large a
2
– a
1
+a
2
is just a little larger than the
critical value 1.
– Short distance from gate to
cathode makes it possible to
drive current out of gate.
R
NPN
PNP
A
G
S
K
E
G
I
G
E
A
I
K
I
c2
I
c1
I
A
V
1
V
2
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Characteristics of GTO
Static characteristic
– Identical to conventional thyristor in the forward direction
– Rather low breakdown voltage (20-30V)
Switching characteristic
O
t
0
t
i
G
i
A
I
A
90%I
A
10%I
A
t
t
t
f
t
s
t
d
t
r
t
0
t
1
t
2
t
3
t
4
t
5
t
6
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Specifications of GTO
Most GTO specifications have the same meanings
as those of conventional thyristor.
Specifications different from thyristor’s
– Maximum controllable anode current I
ATO
– Current turn-off gain b
off
– Turn-on time t
on
– Turn-off time t
off
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1.4.2 Giant Transistor—GTR
GTR is actually the bipolar junction transistor that can handle
high voltage and large current.
So GTR is also called power BJT, or just BJT.
Basic structure Symbol
b
e
c
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Structures of GTR different from its
information-processing counterpart
Multiple-emitter structure
Darlington configuration
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Physics of GTR operation
Same as information BJT device
holes
electrons
E
b
E
c
i
b
i
c
=βi
b
i
e
=(1+β )i
b
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Static characteristics of GTR
cut-off region
Amplifying (active) region
O
I
i
b3
i
b2
i
b1
i
b1
<i
b2
<i
b3
U
ce
S
a
t
u
r
a
t
i
o
n
r
e
g
i
o
n
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Switching characteristics of GTR
Turn-on transient
– Turn-on delay time t
d
– Rise time t
r
– Turn-on time t
on
Turn-off transient
– Storage time t
s
– Falling time t
f
– Turn-off time t
off
i
b
I
b
1
I
b
2
I
cs
i
c
0
0
90%I
b1
10%I
b1
90%I
cs
10%I
cs
t
0
t
1
t
2
t
3
t
4
t
5
t
t
t
off
t
s
t
f
t
on
t
r
t
d
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Second breakdown of GTR
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Safe operating area (SOA) of GTR
SOA
O
I
c
I
cM
P
SB
P
cM
U
ce
U
ceM
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1.4.3 Power metal-oxide-semiconductor field
` effect transistor—Power MOSFET
Basic structure
Symbol
G
S
D
P channel
A classification
Field Effect
Transistor
(FET)
Metal-onside-semiconductor FET (MOSFET) Power MOSFET
Junction FET (JFET) Static induction transistor (SIT)
n channel
p channel
G
S
D
N channel
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Structures of power MOSFET
Also vertical
structure—VMOS
– WMOS, VDMOS
Multiple parallel
cells
– Polygon-shaped
cells
A structure of hexagon cells
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Physics of MOSFET operation
Off-state
p-n
-
junction is
reverse-biased
off-state voltage
appears across
n
-
region
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Physics of MOSFET operation
p-n
-
junction is slightly
reverse biased
positive gate voltage
induces conducting
channel
drain current flows
through n
-
region and
conducting channel
on resistance = total
resistances of n
-
region,
conducting
channel,source and drain
contacts, etc.
On-state
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Static characteristics of power MOSFET
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Switching characteristics of power MOSFET
R
s
R
G R
F
R
L
i
D
u
GS
u
p
i
D
+U
E
i
D
O
O
O
u
p
t
t
t
u
GS
u
GSP
u
T
t
d(on)
t
r
t
d(off)
t
f
Turn-on transient
– Turn-on delay time t
d(on)
– Rise time t
r
Turn-off transient
– Turn-off delay time t
d(off)
– Falling time t
f
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Specifications of power MOSFET
Drain-source breakdown voltage U
DS
Continuous drain current I
D
Peak pulsed drain current I
DM
On (On-state) resistance R
DS(on)
Inter-terminal capacitances
– Short circuit input capacitance C
iss
= C
GS
+ C
GD
– Reverse transfer capacitance C
rss
= C
GD
– Short circuit output capacitance C
oss
= C
DS
+ C
GD
SOA of power MOSFET
– No second breakdown
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Examples of commercial power MOSFET
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Features and applications of power MOSFET
Voltage-driven device, simple drive circuit
Majority-carrier device, fast switching speed, high
operating frequency (could be hundreds of kHz)
Majority-carrier device, better thermal stability
On-resistance increases rapidly with rated blocking
voltage
– Usually used at voltages less than 500V and power less
than 10kW
– 1000V devices are available, but are useful only at low
power levels(100W)
Part number is selected on the basis of on-
resistance rather than current rating
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The body diode of power MOSFET
The body diode
Equivalent circuit
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1.4.4 Insulated-gate bipolar transistor
—IGBT
Combination of MOSFET and GTR
GTR: low conduction losses (especially at larger blocking voltages),
longer switching times, current-driven
MOSFET: faster switching speed, easy to drive (voltage-driven),
larger conduction losses (especially for higher blocking voltages)
IGBT
Features
? On-state losses are much smaller than those of a power
MOSFET, and are comparable with those of a GTR
? Easy to drive —similar to power MOSFET
? Faster than GTR, but slower than power MOSFET
Application
? The device of choice in 500-1700V applications, at power
levels of several kW to several MW
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Structure and operation principle of IGBT
Basic structure Also multiple cell structure
Basic structure similar to
power MOSFET, except
extra p region
On-state: minority carriers
are injected into drift region,
leading to conductivity
modulation
compared with power
MOSFET: slower switching
times, lower on-resistance,
useful at higher voltages
(up to 1700V)
E
G
C
N
+
N
a)
P
N
+
N
+
P
N
+
N
+
P
+
Emitter Gate
Collector
Injecting layer
Buffer layer
Drift region
J
3
J
2
J
1
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Equivalent circuit and circuit symbol of IGBT
Equivalent circuit
Circuit symbol
G
E
C
+
+
+
I
D
R
N
I
C
V
J1
I
D
R
on
Drift region
resistance
G
C
&
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Static characteristics of IGBT
O
Active region
Cut-off (forward
blocking) region
Saturation region
(On region)
Reverse
blocking region
I
C
U
RM
U
FM
U
CE
U
GE(th)
U
GE
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Switching characteristics of IGBT
IGBT turn-on is
similar to power
MOSFET turn-on
The major
difference between
IGBT turn-off and
power MOSFET
turn-off:
– There is current
tailing in the IGBT
turn-off due to the
stored charge in
the drift region.
t
t
t
U
CE
I
C
0
O
0
U
GE
U
GEM
I
CM
U
CEM
t
fv1
t
fv2
t
off
t
on
t
fi1
t
fi2
t
d(off)
t
f
t
d(on)
t
r
U
CE(on)
U
GEM
U
GEM
I
CM
I
CM
current tail
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Parasitic thyristor and latch-up in IGBT
Location of equivalent devices Complete IGBT equivalent circuit
Main current path pnp transistor and the parasitic npn transistor
compose a parasitic thyristor inside IGBT.
High emitter current tends to latch the parasitic thyristor on.
Modern IGBTs are essentially latch-up proof
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Specifications of IGBT
Collector-emitter breakdown voltage U
CES
Continuous collector current I
C
Peak pulsed collector current I
CM
Maximum power dissipation P
CM
Other issues:
SOA of IGBT
– The IGBT has a rectangular SOA with similar shape to the
power MOSFET.
Usually fabricated with an anti-parallel fast diode
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Examples of commercial IGBT
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1.5 Other new power electronic devices
Static induction transistor —SIT
Static induction thyristor —SITH
MOS controlled thyristor — MCT
Integrated gate-commutated thyristor —IGCT
Power integrated circuit and power module
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Static induction transistor—SIT
Another name: power junction field effect transistor—
power JFET
Features
– Major-carrier device
– Fast switching, comparable to power MOSFET
– Higher power-handling capability than power MOSFET
– Higher conduction losses than power MOSFET
– Normally-on device, not convenient (could be made
normally-off, but with even higher on-state losses)
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Static induction thyristor—SITH
other names
– Field controlled thyristor—FCT
– Field controlled diode
Features
– Minority-carrier device, a JFET structure with an additional
injecting layer
– Power-handling capability similar to GTO
– Faster switching speeds than GTO
– Normally-on device, not convenient (could be made
normally-off, but with even higher on-state losses)
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MOS controlled thyristor—MCT
Essentially a GTO with integrated MOS-driven
gates controlling both turn-on and turn-off that
potentially will significantly simply the design of
circuits using GTO.
The difficulty is how to design a MCT that can be
turned on and turned off equally well.
Once believed as the most promising device, but
still not commercialized in a large scale. The future
remains uncertain.
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Integrated gate-commutated thyristor — IGCT
The newest member of the power semiconductor
family, introduced in 1997 by ABB
Actually the close integration of GTO and the gate
drive circuit with multiple MOSFETs in parallel
providing the gate currents
Short name: GCT
Conduction drop, gate driver loss, and switching
speed are superior to GTO
Competing with IGBT and other new devices to
replace GTO
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Power integrated circuit and power module
Two major challenges
– Electrical isolation of high-voltage components from
voltage components
– Thermal management—power devices usually at higher
temperatures than low-voltage devices
Integration of
power electrons
devices
Integrated power electronics
Module(IPEM): power devices, drive
circuit, protection circuit, control circuit
High voltage integrated circuit (HVIC)
Monolithic integration:
power integrated circuit
Smart power integrated circuit(Smart
power IC, SPIC, Smart switch)
Ordinary power module:just power
devices packaged together
Packaging integration:
power module
Intelligent power module (IPM):
power devices, drive circuit, protection
circuit
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Review of device classifications
Current-driven (current-controlled) devices:
thyristor, GTO, GTR
power electronic
devices
Voltage-driven (voltage-controlled) devices
(Field-controlled devices):power MOSFET,
IGBT, SIT, SITH, MCT, IGCT
Pulse-triggered devices: thyristor, GTO
power electronic
devices
Level-sensitive (Level-triggered) devices:
GTR,power MOSFET, IGBT, SIT, SITH,
MCT, IGCT
Uni-polar devices (Minority carrier devices):
SBD, power MOSFET, SIT
power electronic
devices
Composite devices: IGBT, SITH, MCT
Bipolar devices (Majority carrier devices):
ordinary power diode, thyristor, GTO, GTR,
IGCT, IGBT, SITH, MCT
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Comparison of the major types of devices
Power-handling capability
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Comparison of the major types of devices
Maximum allowed current density as a function of
the switching frequency