Performance Assessment of 4H-SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors

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The performance prospects for 4H-SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) are theoretically evaluated. The total power dissipated (Ptotal) for both devices is calculated as a function of lifetime in the drift region and blocking voltage and used as a figure of merit to compare and contrast the effectiveness of different semiconductor materials for bipolar device applications. Assuming a maximum of 300W/cm2 for the total permissible power dissipation due to heat sink constraints we estimate an upper limit of 5kV for SiC BJT operation.