Fabrication and Characterization of High Current Gain<tex>$(beta =430)$</tex>and High Power (23 A–500 V) 4H-SiC Hybrid Darlington Bipolar Transistor

Abstract

This paper reports the demonstration of a hybrid Darlington bipolar junction transistor (BJT) with a high current gain and a power handling capability substantially higher than the power level of previously reported SiC Darlington BJTs. The Darlington transistor has been tested up to a collector current of 23.5 A and BV/sub ceo/ of 500 V, showing a large-signal dc common emitter current gain (/spl beta/) of 430 and an ac common emitter current gain of 650. Also reported for the first time are the Darlington characteristics up to an ambient temperature of 150/spl deg/C as well as inductively loaded half-bridge inverter switching characteristics. Comparison between a single SiC BJT and a Darlington BJT is made based on the dc and switching results at both room temperature and 150/spl deg/C, and the results are reported.