An Investigation of a Novel Snapback-Free Reverse-Conducting IGBT and With Dual Gates

Abstract

A novel reverse-conducting insulated-gate bipolar transistor (RC-IGBT) with an automatically controlled anode gate, named AG-RC-IGBT, is proposed in this paper, wherein a gate on the reverse IGBT is intrinsically off in the forward conduction state and can be automatically turned on in the reverse conduction state. Therefore, bidirectional conduction capability with snapback-free characteristics is achieved in the novel RC-IGBT. Depending on the parameters set on the reverse IGBT, its operation mode can be either like an antiparallel IGBT or like an antiparallel MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT). The antiparallel MCT mode can yield low snapback current densities and low on-state voltages in both forward and reverse conductions. Two-dimensional numerical simulations show that snapback-free characteristics are obtained in the AG-RC-IGBT antiparallel with an IGBT by a 15-μm-wide half-pitch in both forward and reverse conduction states. The antiparallel MCT mode achieves low on-state voltages of 0.97 and 1.6 V at the current density of 200 A/cm2 in reverse and forward conduction states, respectively.