RC-IGBT snapback suppression using silicon germanium collector regions

In this study, two new structures are proposed for reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistors (RC-IGBT) that effectively prevent snapback by relocating the N-collectors and utilizing silicon–germanium in the collector region of each device. The forward mode of the proposed structures show...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS 2024, 24(10), , pp.1660-1669
Main Authors: Yoon, Tae Young, Park, Dong Gyu, Kim, Seong Yun, Kim, Garam, Kim, Sangwan, Kim, Jang Hyun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electrical Machines and Networks
Engineering
Original Article
Power Electronics
전기공학
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this study, two new structures are proposed for reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistors (RC-IGBT) that effectively prevent snapback by relocating the N-collectors and utilizing silicon–germanium in the collector region of each device. The forward mode of the proposed structures shows I C −  V C characteristics without snapback, since the position of the N-collector is changed to prevent electron extraction. In the reverse mode, the silicon–germanium induces currents through tunneling and impacts the ionization mechanisms. Importantly, the proposed structures generate a stable current value even if there are errors in the length of the N-collector during ion implantation, which enhances the reliability of the device. In addition, the proposed structures exhibit similar values for the breakdown voltage at around 700 V and the turn-on and turn-off losses when compared to the conventional RC-IGBT. Thus, this paper improves the reliability of RC-IGBTs by mitigating the snapback effect while maintaining their unique electrical properties.
ISSN:1598-2092
2093-4718
DOI:10.1007/s43236-024-00875-5