Coolmos Technology – Outstanding Prospects towards Idealized Power Semiconductor Switch

Abstract

CoolMOS technology – developed for the production of charge-compensated devices – is presented. Due to its novel internal structure, the derice offers a dramatic reduction in on-state resistance with a completely altered voltage dependence of the device capacitances. Ruggedness aspects such as avalanche and short-circuit behavior are excellent and reach the limits of active zener-clamped devices. The above-mentioned electrical characteristics make the device suitable for a broad range of applications. The paper also discusses device physics-based selection criteria for fast IGBTs and CoolMOS.The paper describes innovative SPICE and SABER simulation models incorporating a dynamic connection between electrical and thermal component description. On the one hand this enables the realistic simulation of operating states in which a relevant self-heating effect occurs. On the other, the models provide defined thermal nodes which create a connection to the thermal environment of the component and thus, for example, facilitate the investigation and optimization of hearsink options.