Low Loss Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor With Electron Injection (EI-IGBT)

Abstract

A new type insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) with electron injection (EI-IGBT) is proposed in which an N+-buried layer is implemented in P-base region. The mechanism of the EI-IGBT is that electrons are injected in both OFF- and ON-state, thus accelerated electron–hole recombination is achieved, resulting in a fast turn-off process. Meanwhile, a low forward voltage drop is obtained due to an enhanced conductivity modulation. The simulation results show that, compared with the conventional IGBT, the proposed EI-IGBT delivers a comparable breakdown voltage while featuring an 80% shorter turn-off time (or a 72% lower turn-off loss) or a 23% lower forward voltage drop, resulting in a reduction of total energy loss.