Economical methods for SiC JFET’s short-circuit protection using commercial gate drivers

Abstract

This paper presents several economical methods for retrofitting commercially available gate drivers for IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs to drive SiC JFETs and to protect the SiC JFETs during short circuit and overcurrent conditions. The SiC JFETs are finding increasing interest for many emerging applications due to their unique properties, like lower specific on-resistance, high temperature operation potential without gate oxide concerns, etc. However, the normally-on characteristics and distinct gate driver voltage requirements (0 V to turn on and −15 V to turn off) place challenges to adopt commercial gate drivers directly to SiC JFETs, especially to realize short-circuit protection. The presented methods are developed based on the commercial gate drivers which allows fast prototyping and design cycles of SiC JFET based power electronics. A comparison between the proposed methods is provided with recommendations for implementation. This paper would provide a useful reference for designers working on SiC JFET based power electronic designs.