Design and Performance Evaluation of a General Purpose Device Characterization Setup

Abstract

Semiconductor switches of distinct underlying device technologies but with identical ratings are commercially available from a range of manufacturers. Selection of appropriate device for a given power conversion application is critical for meeting the trade-off between cost and performance objectives. This paper discusses the design of a PCB based general purpose discrete device characterization setup using which comparative study of switching and short-circuit behavior of TO-247 devices is performed at room and elevated case temperatures in the range from $120^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to $160^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The design ensures that the test fixture safely handles the abnormal levels of current stress occurring in the event of a catastrophic device failure. Experimental studies conducted on 1200V, 40A silicon (Si) and 1200V, 50A silicon carbide (SiC) devices from varied manufacturers verify the performance of the characterization setup. The distinctions in their respective switching behavior at nominal and fault conditions, along with the deviations in their characteristics observed at elevated operating temperatures are reported in this work.