Voltage Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Research Articles

Fast Recovery Diodes for High-Current High- Voltage Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors

Silicon Fast Recovery Diodes of 4.5 kV class were produced with diameter of active area between 100 and 150 mm. Wide Safe Operation Area is experimentally demonstrated with IGBT operated at di/dt above 4 kA/ <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for which diode recovery losses and peak power show decreasing trend above the diode average rating current of 5 kA, which is half of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) short circuit current. The role of IGBT switch and diode design on the robustness enhanced by increased diode area, is explained. The experimental results are confirmed by device simulation (TCAD).

Termination area design for reduced leakage current and improved ruggedness of HV IGBTs

Abstract A termination design which efficiently reduces leakage current and improves robustness of very high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) (&gt;3.3 kV) without adversely affecting other device characteristics is presented here. Proposed design uses a selectively formed Buried N+ layer in the N-buffer under the termination region. Optimised placement of the N+ buried regions reduces carrier modulation in the termination area thus lowering the leakage current and reducing maximum temperature during the reverse bias safe operating area tests. This improves dynamic ruggedness of the IGBT without deteriorating other device characteristics.

Independent closed loop control of di/dt and dv/dt for high power IGBTs

As the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules have their own specific characteristic switching forms, their turn-on and turn-off times are changed according to practical applications. For the conventional gate drives, gate resistors are used to adjust the turn-on and turn-off times which change switching losses that have a significant amount in total losses. Collector current rate of change, $di_{C}/ dt$ and collector-emitter rate of change, $dv_{CE}/ dt$ are dependent on each other and they affect operating parameters in high power converters. Relations between current and voltages during the switching transitions are given and effects of the changes in electrical parameters for the operation of IGBT are described. Thereafter, closed-loop gate drive with analog control that performs independent control of $di_{C}/ dt$ and $dv_{CE}/ dt$ of a new generation IGBT module platform for high power applications is proposed. Unlike conventional gate drives, proposed closed-loop drive makes constant $di_{C}/ dt$ possible while $dv_{CE}/ dt$ is decreased to increase the efficiency of the power conversion system. This leads to decrease of the switching losses without changing the electromagnetic interference (EMI), IGBT voltage, and current stresses which are related with the rate of change of collector current. Simulations are performed in a double pulse test circuit in which new package next high power density dual (nHPD$^{2}$) family MBM450FS33F Hitachi dual IGBT with 3300V 450A ratings is modelled.

In Situ Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Junction Temperature Estimation Method via a Bond Wire Degradation Independent Parameter Turn-OFF V ce Overshoot

Fast and accurate online monitoring of junction temperature of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) chips is of great significance for overtemperature protection and thermal stress optimization of IGBTs. However, existing IGBT junction temperature estimation methods have drawbacks of dependence on bond wire degradation, low resolution, nonlinearity, and difficulty in online implementation. In this article, a novel <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in situ</i> IGBT junction temperature estimation method via turn- <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">off</small> collector voltage overshoot is proposed, which is independent on bond wire degradation. Based on theoretical analysis, the turn- <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">off</small> collector voltage overshoot is approximately linear to the junction temperature. The peak value of the turn- <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">off</small> collector voltage can be extracted during operation. Experiments are conducted to verify the technique proposed. A linear relationship between collector voltage overshoot and IGBT junction temperature is revealed, which illustrates the validity of the proposed method. Besides, the operation parameters (bus voltage, load current, and temperature) are considered, and the calibration on operation parameter variations is discussed. At last, the proposed method is compared with a traditional IGBT junction temperature estimation method based on the <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">on</small> -state voltage drop. The advantages of the proposed method lie in its independence on bond wire degradation and high resolution for online temperature estimation.

Bond wire lift-off monitoring based on intersection point movement characteristic in IGBT module

Condition monitoring (CM) the insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module is of vital significance to improve the reliability of power electronics system. Collector–emitter on-state voltage VCE,ON is a frequently employed failure precursor to identify the bond wire aging. In this paper, a method of separating VCE,ON is proposed to monitor the bond wire lift-off of IGBT module. Firstly, based on the circuit structure of IGBT module, the VCE,ON is divided into voltage drop across IGBT chip VChip and voltage drop across bond wire VBW. Secondly, the working principle of IGBT chip is investigated, and the calculation method of voltage drop across P-i-N diode VPiN is proposed. Finally, the VChip is analyzed, and information provided by collector current IC at the IC–VChip curve intersection point that is not affected by solder layer fatigue is adopted to monitor the lift-off degree of bond wire. The feasibility of the above methods is verified by theory and experiment.

Active Gate Drive to Increase the Power Capacity of Hard-Switched IGBTs

The effect of the gate drive on the power-processing capacity of a hard-switched insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in a bridge leg is investigated in this article. The performance of two active gate drive (AGD) techniques [variable ramp (VR) and push-pull (PP)] is compared against a conventional two-level [fast gate drive (FGD)] gate drive method. The two proposed techniques reduce the voltage overshoot, which allows the dc-bus voltage to be increased closer to the IGBT voltage rating, improving the utilization of the device's blocking voltage. Consequently, the safe operating area of the IGBT is extended without exceeding the thermal limit of the device (limited by the maximum junction temperature). An experimental method, the first of its kind in the literature, is developed to determine whether using these AGDs can lead to an increase in the power that the IGBT can process. This article reveals that the PP-AGD technique can increase the IGBT power throughput by approximately 5%-8% across a range of switching frequencies. This better IGBT utilization allows a given device to process more power or may allow the designer to choose lower power rated devices potentially leading to higher converter power density.

The Influence of Driving Parameters on Conducted EMI for an IGBT Module

Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) has been widely used in the voltage-source-converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC). However, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by its fast switching process affects the normal operation of the surrounding power equipment. The switching voltage and current of IGBT are the main sources of EMI. Different driving circuit parameters result in different IGBT switching characteristics. In this article, the switching model of IGBT is introduced first and the influence of driving parameters on EMI sources is analyzed. Based on the conducted EMI experiment platform of an IGBT module, the time-domain waveforms of switching voltage and current under different driving parameters are obtained and compared with the model. Then the interference voltage spectrums are measured by an EMI receiver under different driving parameters. The influence of driving parameters on conducted EMI in 0.15–30 MHz is then analyzed and explained by combining the result of time domain and frequency domain. This article comprehensively analyzes the relationship between driving parameters and EMI sources and summarizes the influence characteristics of driving parameters on common-mode (CM) and differential-mode (DM) noise. The conclusions can help the parameters design of driving board, which can effectively reduce the conducted EMI of the converter.

Event Driven Control of Voltage and Current Gradients of Medium Voltage IGBTs

Medium voltage insulated gate bipolar transistors are fast switching devices that require low gate drive power. They inherently generate high voltage and current gradients during switching transitions. These are generally limited by retarding the changes of the gate charge. Additional gate resistors are usually installed for this purpose. The drawback is high switching losses. A novel method is described in this article that aims at controlling the voltage and current gradients during switching transitions. The gate charge of the input MOS device is controlled by injected gate currents. These follow particular command functions that are predefined and stored in a memory. The method requires reacting within microseconds, which traditional closed-loop control cannot do. Specific time events are therefore defined to trigger the respective command function. These functions depend on the instantaneous values of the collector current or the collector–emitter voltage, variables that are identified without delay, knowing their predefined gradients and counting the time from the respective event to reach their final values. Experimental results show the performance of event driven control. Low current and voltage gradients are enforced while the switching losses are reduced.

Low-Voltage Solid-State DC Breaker for Fault Protection Applications in Isolated DC Microgrid Cluster

Due to the interconnected scheme of multiple components, such as distributed generators, storage systems, and loads through converters to a common bus in DC microgrids, the possibility of fault occurrence is increasing significantly. Meanwhile, due to the huge and rapid increase of short-circuit currents, the development of a small- and large-scale DC system requires a reliable and fast protection system to ensure fault clearance and maintain safety for the rest of the system. Thus, fault protection has been focused on as one of the most critical issues in a direct current network. The application of traditional circuit-breakers for DC fault protection has the drawback of slow operation, which requires a high rating power equipment. Recently, the high speed and excellent performance capabilities of semiconductor breakers have attracted a lot of attention and been considered as an optimal solution for fast DC fault interruption. In this study, a bidirectional Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) semiconductor breaker, suitable for the fault protection of low-voltage DC networks, is proposed. The operating characteristics of this breaker are based on changes in the circuit current and terminal voltage of IGBTs. It detects the abrupt change of the terminal voltage as an abnormal condition and isolates the faulted branch in a short time to prevent the operation disturbance in the healthy part of the network. Therefore, for the entire protection of a typical 400V DC-microgrid cluster, breakers need to be integrated and examined in each branch and the interconnected lines. The proposed protection method in this study is examined in a Simulink®/MATLAB environment to analyze and assess its operation.

A Modular Topology of Marx Generator Using Buck–Boost Converter

In this paper, a high-voltage unipolar pulse power generator is introduced for electroporation applications. Operating principle of the proposed structure is based on the buck-boost (BB) converter. The generator is comprised of parallel modules connected to the converter through an SCR and is supplied by a low-voltage dc source. Each module consists of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), two diodes, and a capacitor. In fact, the proposed topology is a combination of the Marx generator and BB (MG-BB) converter. In comparison with other modular MG-BB structures, the proposed topology achieves interesting advantages including simpler structure, reduction of IGBTs voltage rating, and reducing number of components (inductors and switches). In order to clarify the features of the proposed structure, it has been compared with other unipolar MGs considering different aspects including the number of circuit components, number of required input supplies, amplitude of the output pulse, and the maximum voltage across switches and diodes. To validate the effectiveness of the structure, simulation and experimental results are presented. The results confirm that the proposed topology is capable of generating unipolar pulses with desirable amplitude and repetition frequency using a low-voltage dc supply.

New advanced concept of the flying capacitor asymmetric multilevel voltage source inverter

PurposeTo improve the voltage quality in AC adjustable high-power-speed-drive applications, the purpose of the paper is to provide a large number of output levels without increasing the number of commutation cells in the three-phase, n-cells flying capacitor voltage source asymmetric Multilevel Inverter (MI). The concept is based on the selection of different ratios between the breakdown voltages of two successive power devices. The new mathematical model is developed under various ratios, allows a thorough investigation of the harmonic distortions, flying capacitor energy storage, flying capacitor voltage balancing controllability and blocking voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) capability.Design/methodology/approachThe asymmetrical design provides a large number of output levels without increasing the number of commutation cells. The important new analytical expression of capacitors voltage distribution is derived and extended to any ratio between the switch breakdown voltages of two successive power devices.FindingsThe detailed simulation study of the proposed concept has been carried out using MATLAB/Simulink. The power switches control of the three-phase three-cell MI is assured by new phase-shifted-multi-carrier pulse width modulation. The space vector representation is used to show the regular and irregular step output voltage in the complex plan (α,β).Originality/valueIn the paper, the n cells flying capacitor inverter, which typically operates in the (n + 1) levels mode, was extended to (n + 2), (n + 3) … until 2n levels with regular or irregular step output voltage. Consequently, the claimed advantages of the asymmetric MI are to improve power quality by reducing harmonic distortions and to reduce the requirement on capacitive energy storage in the circuit.

Electric Field Distribution in High Voltage Power Modules Using Finite Element Simulations

With the development of the high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power module, it leads to serious problems concerning the electric field insulation. The electric field capabilities of the silicone gels used in the power module encapsulation directly affect the module insulation. Some solutions have been developed to optimize the electric field and reliability. In this letter, the finite element simulation was used to analyze and localize the maximum electric field position; solutions were proposed to improve the module insulation. It’s demonstrated that BaTiO3 silicone composite is a promising insulation material for high voltage power device.

전기자동차용 이중 게이트 구조를 갖는 전력 IGBT소자의 전기적인 특성 분석

본 논문에서는 플래너 게이트 및 트렌치 게이트의 구조를 동시에 가지고 있는 1200V급 이중 게이트 IGBT 소자를 제안함과 동시에 전기적인 특성을 분석하였으며, 분석된 결과를 가지고 플래너 게이트 및 트렌치 게이트 IGBT 소자의 전기적인 특성과 비교 분석하였다. 이중 게이트 IGBT 소자를 설계하는데 있어 문턱전압 및 온 상태 전압 강하에 영향을 주는 P-베이스 영역에 있어 P-베이스에 깊이는 트렌치 게이트 소자 영역에 영향을 주며, P-베이스에 너비는 플래너 게이트 소자 영역에 영향을 주는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구에서 제시한 이중 게이트 IGBT 소자의 전기적인 특성인 항복전압은 1467.04V, 온 전압 강하는 3.08V, 문턱전압은 4.14V의 특성을 나타내고 있다. IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) device is a device with excellent current conducting capability, it is widely used as a switching device power supplies, converters, solar inverter, household appliances or the like, designed to handle the large power. This research was proposed 1200 class dual gate IGBT for electrical vehicle. To compare the electrical characteristics, The planar gate IGBT and trench gate IGBT was designd with same design and process parameters. And we carried to compare electrical characteristics about three devices. As a result of analyzing electrical characteristics, The on state voltage drop charateristics of dual gate IGBT was superior to those of planar IGBT and trench IGBT. Therefore, Aspect to Energy Loss, dual gate IGBT was efficiency. The breakdown volgate and threshold voltage of planar, trench and dual gate IGBT were 1460V and 4V.

Thermal characterization system for transient thermal impedance measurement and power cycling of IGBT modules

This paper presents a custom-designed thermal characterization system for insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules. The main purpose of this system is to provide experimental capability for transient thermal impedance (Zth) measurement and power cycling reliability test on IGBT modules. LabVIEW programming was applied for circuit control and data acquisition. Gate-emitter voltage (Vge) of IGBT was used as the temperature-sensitive parameter for junction temperature (Tj) measurement. The linear relationship between Vge and Tj for IGBT can be measured by the system. Variation coefficient of lower than 0.5% was achieved for Zth measurement. IGBT modules with the same sample geometry but different die-attach processes were used for system verification: IGBT modules with nanosilver-sintered die-attach have on the average a 12% lower Zth than SAC305 soldered modules. The power cycling capability of the system was demonstrated by cycling a nanosilver-sintered IGBT module with Tj cycled between 45°C and 175°C. The cycling lifetime of the IGBT module was recorded as 48,000cycles with the failure criteria of 20% increase on Zth. Such lifetime is 50% longer than the predicted value from lifetime prediction model.

4500 V SPT+ IGBT optimization on static and dynamic losses**Project supported by the National Major Science and Technology Special Project of China (No. 2011ZX02504-002).

This paper concerns the need for improving the static and dynamic performance of the high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (HV IGBTs). A novel structure with a carrier stored layer on the cathode side, known as an enhanced planar IGBT of the 4500 V voltage class is investigated. With the adoption of a soft punch through (SPT) concept as the vertical structure and an enhanced planar concept as the top structure, signed as SPT+ IGBT, the simulation results indicate the turn-off switching waveform of the 4500 V SPT+ IGBT is soft and also realizes an improved trade-off relationship between on-state voltage drop (Von) and turn-off loss (Eoff) in comparison with the SPT IGBT. Attention is also paid to the influences caused by different carrier stored layer doping dose on static and dynamic performances, to optimize on-state and switching losses of SPT+ IGBT.

Design methodology for optimising a high insulation voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor gate driver signal transmission function

In this study, a design methodology for optimising a signal transmission function for high galvanic insulation (up to 30 kV) insulated gate bipolar transistor gate driver is proposed. The technology is based on a printed circuit board magnetic planar transformer with electronic circuits for excitation and reception. The objective of this study is to optimise the geometric elements of the transformer and its associated electronics devices with the help of a virtual prototyping tool. A bi-objective problem of the overall system that leads to a Pareto front is presented. Several Pareto fronts’ results are obtained assuming different insulation layers thickness. The chosen transformer solution is justified and depends on the bi-objective functions and the galvanic insulation level of the system. Moreover, the experimental results are compared with the simulation results. Finally, the comparisons between experimental and simulation results are proposed to lead to a conclusion of this methodology.

Power Loss Modeling of Individual IGBT and Advanced Voltage Balancing Scheme for MMC in VSC-HVDC System

This paper presents the new power dissipation model of individual switching device in a high-level modular multilevel converter (MMC), which can be mostly used in voltage sourced converter (VSC) based high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS). Also, the voltage balancing method based on sorting algorithm is newly proposed to advance the MMC functionalities by effectively adjusting switching variations of the sub-module (SM). The proposed power dissipation model does not fully calculate the average power dissipation for numerous switching devices in an arm module. Instead, it estimates the power dissipation of every switching element based on the inherent operational principle of SM in MMC. In other words, the power dissipation is computed in every single switching event by using the polynomial curve fitting model with minimum computational efforts and high accuracy, which are required to manage the large number of SMs. After estimating the value of power dissipation, the thermal condition of every switching element is considered in the case of external disturbance. Then, the arm modeling for high- level MMC and its control scheme is implemented with the electromagnetic transient simulation program. Finally, the case study for applying to the MMC based HVDC system is carried out to select the appropriate insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module in a steady-state, as well as to estimate the proper thermal condition of every switching element in a transient state.

Experimental demonstration of an anode voltage sensor for high voltage IGBT over-voltage protection

This paper deals with the design and fabrication of a monolithically integrated over-voltage sensor together with high voltage IGBTs. This solution will be of interest in harsh environment applications such as power modules for traction. First, the anode voltage sensor concept is introduced and an initial experimental validation on 600 V insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices is provided. Then, guidelines for the design of a 3.3 kV IGBT including the proposed anode voltage sensor are pointed out together with its process fabrication. Finally, experimental results on fabricated 3.3 kV IGBTs are presented and compared with simulated expected behaviour.

Characterization and Comparison of High Blocking Voltage IGBTs and IEGTs Under Hard- and Soft-Switching Conditions

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> The market of converters connected to transmission lines continues to require insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) with higher blocking voltages to reduce the number of IGBTs connected in series in high-voltage converters. To cope with these demands, semiconductor manufactures have developed several technologies. Nowadays, IGBTs up to 6.5-kV blocking voltage and IEGTs up to 4.5-kV blocking voltage are on the market. However, these IGBTs and injection-enhanced gate transistors (IEGTs) still have very high switching losses compared to low-voltage devices, leading to a realistic switching frequency of up to 1 kHz. To reduce switching losses in high-power applications, the auxiliary resonant commutated pole inverter (ARCPI) is a possible alternative. In this paper, switching losses and on-state voltages of NPT-IGBT (3.3 kV-1200 A), FS-IGBT (6.5 kV-600 A), SPT-IGBT (2.5 kV-1200 A, 3.3 kV-1200 A and 6.5 kV-600 A) and IEGT (3.3 kV-1200 A) are measured under hard-switching and zero-voltage switching (ZVS) conditions. The aim of this selection is to evaluate the impact of ZVS on various devices of the same voltage ranges. In addition, the difference in ZVS effects among the devices with various blocking voltage levels is evaluated. </para>

Development of a Scalable Power Semiconductor Switch (SPSS)

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> This paper presents the design and development of a 4800-V, 300-A, 10-kHz scalable power semiconductor switch (SPSS) based on series connecting low voltage insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The static and dynamic voltage balance among IGBTs is achieved using a hybrid approach of active clamp circuit and an active gate control that is also effective during tail current phase. The developed SPSS derives its control power directly from the main power bus. Control, packaging, and thermal characteristics are an integral part of the SPSS design. From a user's standpoint, the SPSS is a three-terminal optically controlled high-power switch. Experimental evaluation of the prototype SPSS shows it fully achieved the design objectives. In principle, the approach can be extended to building switches with higher voltages, currents, and switching frequencies, or even with other types of devices than IGBTs. </para>