Comparative evaluation of the short-circuit withstand capability of 1.2 kV silicon carbide (SiC) power transistors in real life applications

Abstract

In this paper, the response of the new generation silicon carbide (SiC) power transistors under short-circuit faults is examined. The study is focused on real life applications, where a large stray inductance is typically part of the main power loop. Three types of short-circuits are experimentally investigated and the effect of the stray inductance in each case is recorded. A comparative analysis regarding the performance of the SiC junction field effect transistors (JFETs) and SiC metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs), along with the latest technology silicon (Si) MOSFETs is carried out. Maximum instantaneous power, critical energy and saturation current are the main criteria for evaluating the robustness of each power device. A destructive test is performed in order to obtain the short-circuit withstand capability and the failure mechanism of each semiconductor.