Accurate diode behavioral model with reverse recovery

Abstract

This paper deals with the comprehensive behavioral model of p-n junction diode containing reverse recovery effect, applicable to all standard SPICE simulators supporting Verilog-A language. The model has been successfully used in several production designs, which require its full complexity, robustness and set of tuning parameters comparable with standard compact SPICE diode model. The model is like standard compact model scalable with area and temperature and can be used as a stand-alone diode or as a part of more complex device macro-model, e.g. LDMOS, JFET, bipolar transistor. The paper briefly presents the state of the art followed by the chapter describing the model development and achieved solutions. During precise model verification some of them were found non-robust or poorly converging and replaced by more robust solutions, demonstrated in the paper. The measurement results of different technologies and different devices compared with a simulation using the new behavioral model are presented as the model validation. The comparison of model validation in time and frequency domains demonstrates that the implemented reverse recovery effect with correctly extracted parameters improves the model simulation results not only in switching from ON to OFF state, which is often published, but also its impedance/admittance frequency dependency in GHz range. Finally the model parameter extraction and the comparison with SPICE compact models containing reverse recovery effect is presented.