Diodes for Power Electronic Applications

OUTLINE

PN junction power diode construction

Breakdown voltage considerations
On-state losses
Switching characteristics
Schottky diodes
Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) Diodes

Diodes - 1
 Basic Structure of Power Semiconductor Diodes
Anode
i
10
P+ 19 -3 microns Vertical current flow gives
N = 10 cm
A
significant increase in
breakdown
v 14 -3 voltage cross-sectional area for
N- epi N = 10 cm
drift region D dependent current flow compared to
horizontal orientation of
19 -3 signal level diode current
N+ substrate N = 10 cm 250
D flow.
microns

Cathode

i anode
1
i
R on
B VBD
v

v
1 V v

cathode
Diodes - 2
 Breakdown Voltage Estimate - Step Junction

Non- punch- thr ough di ode. Dr i ft
W(V)
r egi on l ength Wd > W(BV BD) =
l ength of space char ge r egi on at
br eak down. x

c
W(V) = Wo 1+V/c
c + V

2c(Na+Nd )
Wo =
qNaNd 4c
(Emax )2 = (EBD)2 = BV BD
Wo 2
2 c
Emax = 1+V/ c
Wo
Sol ve for W(BV BD) and BV BD
Power di ode at r ev er se br eak down:
Na >> Nd ; E = EBD ; V = BV BD >> c to obtai n (put i n Si val ues)
EBD2 1.3x 1017
Wo 2BV BD 2 c
BV BD = = ; [V]
W2(BV BD) = ; Wo
2= 2qNd Nd
c qNd
2BV BD
W(BV BD) = = 10- 5 BV BD ; [ m]
EBD
Concl usi ons
1. Lar ge BV BD (103 V) r equi r es Nd < 1015 cm - 3

2. Lar ge BV BD (103 V) r equi r es N- dr i ft r egi on > 100 m

Diodes - 3
 Breakdown Voltage - Punch-Through Step Junction
Punch-through step junction - W(BVBD) > Wd
At breakdown:

- V + V1 + V2 = BVBD
+ +
P N- N E1 + E2 = EBD

W qNdWd2
d
Electric
BVBD = EBD Wd -
2
E1 + E 2 field
V
1 (EBD)2
E2 If Nd << (required
V2 2q(BVBD)
x value of Nd for non-punch-thru
diode), then
qNdWd qNdWd2
E1 = ; V1 = BVBD EBD Wd and
2
Wd(Punch-thru)
V2 = E2 Wd 0.5 Wd(non-punch-thru)

Diodes - 4
 Effect of Space Charge Layer Curvature
diffusing incident acceptor impurities
acceptor
impurities SiO 2
If radius of curvature is comparable
to depletion layer thickness, electric
field becomes spatially nonuniform.
+
P
R
depletion Spatially nonuniform electric field
layer - reduces breakdown voltage.
N
+
N
R > 6 W(BVBD) in order to limit
breakdown voltage reduction to 10%
Impurities diffuse as fast laterally as vertically or less.

Not feasible to keep R large if

Curvature develops in junction boundary and in BVBD is to be large ( > 1000 V).
depletion layer.

Diodes - 5
Control of Space Charge Layer Boundary Contour
field plates

Electrically isolated conductors

(field plates) act as equipotential
P+ surfaces.
depletion layer Correct placement can force
boundary depletion layer boundary to have
-
N larger radius of curvature and thus
minimize field crowding.

SiO 2 Electrically isolated p-regions

P
(guard rings)has depletion regions
P
P+ which interact with depletion region
guard ring of main pn junction.
depletion
layer
boundary N
- Correct placement of guard rings
can result in composite depletion
N+
region boundary having large radius
aluminum of curvature and thus minimize field
contact
crowding.
Diodes - 6
 Surface Contouring to Minimize Field Crowding
depletion layer
boundary

N+ N+
SiO
2
N-

N-

P+ P+
bonding pad bonding pad
high field
region

Large area diodes have depletion Proper contouring of surface can

layers that contact Si surface.
Difference in dielectric constant of Si
and air causes field crowding at surface.
Electric fields fringing out into air
attract impurities to surface that can
lower breakdown voltage.
mimimize depletion layer curvature and
thus field crowding.
Use of a passivation layer like SiO2 can
also help minimize field crowding and
also contain fringing fields and thus
prevent attraction of impurities to
surface.
Diodes - 7
 Conductivity Modulation of Drift Region
Forward bias injects holes into drift
region from P+ layer. Electrons
x attracted into drift region from N+
+ + -
layer. So-called double injection.
P N - N+

W If Wd high level diffusion length La ,

d
carrier distributions quite flat with p(x)
p(x) = n(x) log scale n(x) na.
16
= n a = 10
For na >> drift region doping Nd, the
p (x) resistance of the drift region will be
n p (x) 14 n
n no = 10 quite small. So-called conductivity
p modulation.
no
n p =1 0 6
po
no
x
On-state losses greatly reduced below
those estimated on basis of drift region
low-level (Nd) ohmic conductivity.
Diodes - 8
 Drift Region On-State Voltage Estimate

QF qAWdna
IF = = ; Current needed

to maintain stored charge QF.
W
d
q[n+p]naAVd x
IF = ;
Wd
Ohms Law (J = E)
+ + -
P N - N+
I F
Wd2
Vd = ; Equate above + V - + V -
[n+p] j d
Cross-sectional
two equations and solve for Vd
area = A

Conclusion: long lifetime minimizes Vd.

Diodes - 9
 Diode On-State Voltage at Large Forward Currents

o
n + p = ; nb 1016 cm-3 .
na i
1+
nb
Mobility reduction due to increased 1
carrier-carrier scattering at large na. R on

v
q n a A Vd o 1 V
IF = ; Ohms Law
Wd na
1+ IfWd
nb
Vd =
with density-dependent mobility. qonbA

Vd = IF Ron
Invert Ohms Law equation to find Vd as
function IF assuming na >> nb.
V = Vj + Vd
Diodes - 10
 Diode Switching Waveforms in Power Circuits
Qrr = I t /2
rr rr

di /d t d i /d t
F I F R 0. 25 I
rr

I
rr

t t t
3 4 5 diF diR
dt and dt determined
V on t
V
FP
rr by external circuit.

t Inductances or power
t V
V
R semiconductor devices.
2 rr
t
t 5
1 S =
t
4

Diodes - 11
 Diode Internal Behavior During Turn-on
t interval
1
- +
- + di F
P + - + N- N+
Csc(V) =
A
V FP IF R d + L
i (t) - + W(V) dt
F
Wd
Rd = L = stray or
q nNd A wiring inductance
Cs c Rd L

t interval
2
- +
P+ - + N- N+
i (t) - +
F
Vj 1.0 V

time
Injection of excess
time carriers into drift
time
region greatly
reduces Rd.
x

Diodes - 12
 Diode Internal Behavior During Turn-off
t - t interval
3 4
i (t)
- + N+
R
P+ - N-
- +
+
Vj 1.0 V R d i ncr eases as ex cess

Rd
car r i er s ar e r emoved vi a
C sc L r ecombi nati on and car r i er
sweep- out (negati ve cur r ent).
time
time time di R
Vr = I r r R d + L
dt

t s i nt e r v a l
I nsuffi ci ent ex cess car r i er s r emai n to suppor t I r r , so

P +N- j uncti on becomes r ev er se- bi ased and cur r ent

decr eases to zer o.

Vol tage dr ops fr om V r r to V R as cur r ent decr eases

to zer o. Negati v e cur r ent i ntegr ated ov er i ts ti me
dur ati on r emov es a total char ge Qr r .

Diodes - 13
 Factors Effecting Reverse Recovery Time

diR diR trr If stored charge removed mostly

Irr = t = ; Defined on by sweep-out Qrr QF IF
dt 4 dt (S+1)
switching waveform diagram

Using this in eqs. for Irr and trr

and assuming S + 1 1 gives
Irrtrr diR trr2
Qrr = = ; Defined
2 dt 2(S+1)
2IF
on waveform diagram trr = and
diR
dt
Inverting Qrr equation to solve for trr yields
diR diR
2Qrr(S+1) 2Qrr Irr = 2IF
dt dt
trr = and Irr =
diR (S+1)
dt

Diodes - 14
 Carrier Lifetime-Breakdown Voltage Tradeoffs

Low on-state losses require Conclusions

kT
L= D = 1. Higher breakdown voltages
q[n+p]
require larger lifetimes if low
L = Wd W(V) = 10-5BVBD on-state losses are to be
maintained.

Solving for the lifetime yields 2. High breakdown voltage

Wd2 devices slower than low
= = 4x10-12 (BVBD)2 breakdown voltage
(kT/q)[n+p]
devices.

3. Turn-off times shortened

Substituting for in Irr and trr equations gives
diR
IF by large but Irr is
dt
trr = 2.8x10-6 BVBD
(diR/dt) increased.
diR
Irr = 2.8x10-6 BVBD IF
dt

Diodes - 15
 Schottky Diodes
anode
aluminum
SiO2 contact -
Characteristics rectifying

V(on) = 0.3 - 0.5 volts.

P P

Breakdown voltages guard

100-200 volts. ring
depletion layer depletion layer
boundary with N boundary
Majority carrier device - no guard rings without guard
stored charge. rings

Fast switching because of lack

of stored charge. N+

aluminum
cathode
contact -
ohmic
Diodes - 16
 Physics of Schottky Diode Operation

Electrons diffuse from Si to Al

because electrons have larger + V -
i(t)
average energy in silicon
Aluminum n-type Si
compared to aluminum.
Electron Energy
Depletion layer and thus potential
barrier set up. Gives rise to
E
rectifying contact. Si
E
Al
No hole injection into silicon. No
source of holes in aluminum. Thus
- +
diode is a majority carrier device. Al - + N-Si
+
Reverse saturation current much Depletion layer
Diffusing
larger than in pn junction diode.
electrons
This leads to smaller V(on) (0.3 -
0.5 volts)

Diodes - 17
 Schottky Diode Breakdown Voltage

Breakdown voltage limited to

100-200 volts. anode

Narrow depletion region

widths because of heavier
drift region doping needed for
P P
low on-state losses.

Small radius of curvature of

depletion region where
metallization ends on surface 16
N 10
of silicon. Guard rings help to
mitigate this problem. +
N

Depletion layer forms right at

silicon surface where cathode
maximum field needed for
breakdown is less because of
imperfections, contaminants.

Diodes - 18
 Schottky Diode Switching Waveforms
Schottky diodes switch much
faster than pn junction diodes. No Current
minority carrier storage.
I
F
Foreward voltage overshoot VFP
t
much smaller in Schottky diodes.
Drift region ohmic resistance R. V
FP

Reverse recovery time trr much

V(on)
smaller in Schottky diodes. No
minority carrier storage. t
voltage
Reverse recovery current Irr
comparable to pn junction diodes. C(Schottky) 5 C(PN)
space charge capacitance in
Schottky diode larger than in pn
R (Sch.) << R (pn)
junction diode becasue of
narrower depletion layer widths
resulting from heavier dopings.

Diodes - 19
 Ohmic Contacts

Electrons diffuse from Al into p-

type Si becasue electrons in Al
have higher average energy.

Electrons in p-type Si form an Electron Energy

accumulation layer of greatly
E
enhanced conductivity. Al

E
Contact potential and rectifying Si
junction completely masked by Accumulation layer
i(t)
enhanced conductivity. So-called P-Si or
-
Al
ohmic contact. - N+-Si

In N+ Si depletion layer is very Diffusing

narrow and electric fields approach electrons
impact ionization values. Small
voltages move electrons across
barrier easily becasue quantum
mechanical tunneling occurs.

Diodes - 20
 Si PN Vs Si Schottky Diodes at Large BVBD
Minority carrier drift region Majority carrier drift region
relationships relationships
q [n + p] na A Vd q [n + p] Nd A Vd
IF IF
Wd Wd
Desired breakdown voltage
Maximum practical value of na =1017 1.3x1017
requires Nd = and
cm-3 and corresponding to BVBD
n + p = 900 cm2/(V-sec) Wd 10-5 BVBD

Desired breakdown voltage requires

Large BVBD (1000 V) requires Nd
Wd 10-5 BVBD
= 1014 cm-3 where n + p =
IF Vd 1500 cm2/(V-sec)
= 1.4x106
A BVBD
IF Vd
3.1x106
A [BVBD]2
Conclusion
Minority carrier devices (bipolar devices) have lower on-state losses at
high breakdown voltages than majority carrier devices.
Diodes - 21
 Si Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) Diode

Simplified Cross-sectional View

Anode Al thin film UniqueFeatures

Al film forms rectifying (Schottky)

P+ Schottky P+ Schottky P+
contact with N-type material
N Al film forms ohmic contact P+ and N+
N+ material

Cathode Result is a Schottky diode in parallel

Circuit Symbol
No commonly accepted circuit
symbol for JBS diodes.
with a PN junction diode.
PN junction conducts if structure is
designed for high voltage - high
current applications.

Common practice is to standard

diode symbol at present.
Diodes - 22
 Reverse Bias Operation of JBS Diode

Anode
Depletion layer shields Schottky
P+ P+ P+ junction from applied reverse
voltage.
N PN junction
depletion layer Prevents large reverse currents
N+ (compared with pn junctions)
typical of Schottky junctions.
Cathode
Two principal applications of JBS
diodes.
Lateral growth of pn junction depletion
layers result in merger of adjacent * Low on-state voltages for low
depletion layers as shown. voltage applications

Result is single continuous depletion High breakdown - higher current

layer for both pn junctions and Schottky applications.
junctions.

Diodes - 23
Low Voltage JBS Diodes Forward Bias Operation

Narrow widely spaced P diffusions.

Anode
Majority of lateral area is Schottky
P+ P+ P+ junction.

N Drift region more heavily doped to

Current flow Current flow minimize ohmic drops in Schottky
channels.
N+
PN junction drop not sufficient
for turn-on.
Cathode

Anode metallization chosen for small Schottky barrier.

Forward drops of 0.25 V achieved in Si.

Expected arge leakage currents at reverse bias suppressed by shielding effect of

pn junction depletion layer.

Current flow entirely by majority carriers (electrons). No conductivity modulation.

Diodes - 24
 High Voltage JBS Diodes Forward Bias Operation

Lateral areas of P+ diffusions and

Anode Schottky junctions about equal.
P+ P+ P+
Smaller area of Schottky channels
and lower doping density creates
N-
sufficient ohmic drop to turn on pn
N+ junctions.
Excess carrier injection into drift
Cathode
region from PN junction

Conductivity modulation of drift region keeps on-state. losses low.

Excess carrier density (stored charge) much less than comparable P-I-N
diode. Reverse recovery time of JBS diode much shorter.

Reverse bias leakage currents similar to comparable P-I-N diodes because of

shielding effect of pn junction depletion layers.
Diodes - 25