Instability in Half-Bridge Circuits Switched With Wide Band-Gap Transistors

Abstract

Wide band-gap (WBG) field-effect devices are known to provide a system-level performance benefit compared to silicon devices when integrated into power electronics applications. However, the near-ideal features of these switching devices can also introduce unexpected behavior in practical systems due to the presence of parasitic elements. The occurrence of self-sustained oscillation is one such behavior that has not received adequate study in the literature. This paper provides an analytical treatment of this phenomenon by casting the switching circuit as an unintentional negative resistance oscillator. This treatment utilizes an established procedure from the oscillator design literature and applies it to the problem of power circuit oscillation. A simulation study is provided to identify the sensitivity of the model to various parameters, and the predictive value of the model is confirmed by experiment involving two exemplary WBG devices: a SiC vertical-channel JFET and a SiC lateral-channel MOSFET. The results of this study suggest that susceptibility to self-sustained oscillation is correlated to the available power density of the device relative to the parasitic elements in the circuit, for which wide band-gap devices, to include SiC and GaN transistors, are in a class approaching that of the radio frequency domain.