Abstract
In this chapter, an overview of power semiconductor switching devices will be given. Only devices that are available in the market and are currently used in power electronics applications will be considered. These devices include unipolar and bipolar devices such as the power diode, bipolar junction transistor (BJT), metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and thyristor-based devices such as silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR), gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor, TRIAC, static induction transistor and thyristors, and MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT). Detailed discussion of the physical structure, fabrication, and physical behavior of these devices and packaging are beyond the scope of this text. The emphasis here will be on the terminal i-v switching characteristics of the available devices and their current, voltage, and switching limits. Even though most of today’s available semiconductor power devices are made of silicon or germanium materials, other materials such as gallium arsenide, diamond, and silicon carbide are currently being tested.
Published Version
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