Power PiN Diode Model for PSPICE Simulations

Gustavo Malagoni Buiatti, Federica Cappelluti, Giovanni Ghione

Dipartimento di Elettronica
Politecnico di Torino
Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24
10129, Torino (TO) - Italy
E-mail: gustavo.malagoni@polito.it

Absfrucf-An accurate physics based model for power PIN

diodes is derived and implemented as a subcircuit into the
Pspice circuit simulator. The model is bssed on an equivalent
-
'D

Anode
P' N- N' -Cathod
circuit representation of the base region, obtained by solving the
ambipolar diffusion equation with the Finite Difference Method.
Good agreement is obtained by comparing the results of the
proposed PIN diode model with experimental and simuiated
results taken from the literature.
which takes into account the emitter recombination effects in
I. INTRODUCTlON
the highly doped end regions, conductivity modulation, and
The accurate modeling of PiN diode switching behavior the dynamic of the space-charge voltage build-up. Moreover,
is very important for power electronics circuit simulation, carrier-carrier scattering and Auger recombination effects are
since this process can lead to large voltage and current easily added into the model. During reverse recovery, moving
overshoots, power losses, EM1 phenomena, and also due to boundary effect is taken into account by allowing an adaptive
the increasing switching frequency of switched-mode power definition of the space-charge region width, which in tum
supplies. Because the diode model available in SPICE [I] is changes the width-dependent series resistances in the RC
unable to predict the actual characteristics of PIN structures, network modeling the base region. With respect to other
a number of new power diode models have been already numerical models (see e.g. [ 5 ] ) , the proposed approach offers a
proposed. Models based on numerical approaches present the significant reduction of circuit complexity in terms of number
most accurate solution [23. These methods are based on the of components as we11 as of the single component compkxity.
discretization of the lightly doped base region in a finite Numerical efficiency is achieved together with high accuracy
number of mesh points (nodes). Two numerical methods can as demonstrated from the comparison between experimental
be distinguished: the Finite Difference Method (FDM) [3], and simulated results. As a further advantage, the proposed
[4] and the Finite Element Method (FEM) [5], [ 6 ] . The first FDM approach to the ADE solution yields the time-varying
of these methods has been applied most often. When using free carrier distributions in the epilayer, thus allowing for a
the FDM, the derivatives in time and space in the ambipolar better comprehension of the device dynamic behavior.
diffusion equation (ADE) and in the boundary conditions The paper is organized as follows. In Section I1 the basics of
are approximated by discrete differences, that can be central, the model are summarized and the model equations presented.
forward or backward differences [7].T h i s approach leads to In Section 111 the equivalent circuit representation is deduced,
an algebraic equation system [3], [4]. and the Pspice codes needed for implementation are supplied.
In this paper, we propose to apply FDM onIy for the space Finally, in Section IV comparisons between simulations and
discretization while the time derivative is not discretized. In experimental results are presented.
this way, a set of ordinary differential equations (ODES) is
obtained instead of a set of algebraic equations [Z]. The 11. MODELDESCRIPTION
solution of this set of ODES gives the timekpace hole and A . Basic Equations
electron distributions, as well as the moving boundaries of the
base during reverse recovery [8]. From the knowledge of the Let us consider a device with a base width W, extending
hole concentration p ( z ,t ) , the electron concentration n(z,t) from the P+-N- junction (x=O) to the N--Nf junction (x=W);
and the instantaneous base width, the diode current and voltage see Fig. 1. Under high injection, the carrier distribution is
can be determined. The model implementation into the com- governed by the ADE [XI
mercially available circuit simulator Pspice is made by means
of an electrical analogy with the resulting system of ODES,
In fact, the ODE system can be seen as equivalent to a circuit
made of a set of RC nets and current sources. This results where D, = 2L),D,/(D, + D p ) is the ambipolar difhsion
in an easy-to-implement diode model as a Pspice subcircuit, coefficient and La = is the ambipolar diffusion

0-7803-8975-1/05/$20.00 02005 IEEE. 1911

length; T~~ is the high-level lifetime. The boundary conditions where the nf 1 x n t 1 symmetric matrices [MI and [K], and
for (1) at x=O and x=W can be written as
-
0.5 0 *I. 0 0
0 1 '.. 0 0
M = : : .. .. ..
. . . . .
0 0 '.' 1 0
0 0 ' - , 0 0.5
where ID(^) is the diode current, A the device area, q the
electronic charge, b = D n / D p and the coefficients h, and h,
account for emitter recombination effects IS].
B. Finite Direrence Modeling of the Base Region
In this paper, Finite Difference substitutions in (1) are done K=
only with respect to space, meaning that the time derivative 0

in (1) is kept unchanged. Instead of using also backward and

O
forward differences a:; in [3], [4], this model only uses central
differences. Thus, for the n elements in which the base region
+
is divided, we have n 1 nodes, and for the ith node we have
r71

(4) 0

F=

+
Note that using only central differences, we have n 3 nodes 0
instead of the n f l nodes resulting when using central, forward
and backward differences. By using central differences in the
-1
-.- I&) + h?I d + l

boundary conditions as well, we obtain an explicit expression l+b qAAx AX

for the nodes 0 and ri + 2. Consequently, we come back to a
+ +
set of n 1 equation:; in n 1 variables (concentration in the
nodes). Substituting the corresponding finite difference (5) in
(1) we obtain the general expression for the ith node
For the 1'' and n + l t h node we have the following boundary
conditions at x=O and x=W
Now an equivalent circuit of the system above is obtained
(using Kirchhoffs Current Law), as described in the next
section.
Ill. THEEQUIVALENT CIRCUlT FOR THEBASEREGION
A N D THECOMPLETE DIODE MODEL
The ODEs system (9) can be interpreted as a combination
of RC nets and current sources which can be solved with the
aid of the Pspice circuit simulator. System (9) is equivalent to
the system

which in turn corresponds to the circuit in Fig. 2, the node

voltages K(t) being equivalent to the concentration p ( z i ,t )
along the base. The number of nodes is the number of elements
+
plus one. The first and last node (n lih node) will have,
according to (13), additional current sources whose values are
Substituting PO from (7) and pn+2 from (8) into the ex- respectively
+
pressions equivalent to the lStand n lth nodes in (6), and
+
rearranging the first imd the Iast (n lth)rows of the system
of ODEs, we finally get a symmetric system as follows

(9)

1912
 Fig. 2. Equivalent circuit representing the lightly doped base region of the PIN diode model

The values of the various elements needed for the model shunt resistors and capacitors in Fig. 2, we will have well
implementation are detailed in the following. As a reference defined values dependent upon the physical characteristics of
for the supplied Pspice codes, a complete diode model using 4 the diode. All the capacitors will be set to 1, with exception
elements for the discretization of the base region is shown in of the capacitors in the first and last nodes that will be set to
Fig. 3. However, authors suggest that readers should discretize 0.5 . The same will happen with the shunt resistors, that will
the base in at least 8 elements for obtaining accurate results all be set to Thl, the high-level lifetime, with exception of the
(accuracy of the model depends on the number of elements in shunt resistors in the first and last nodes that will be set to
which the base region is discretized). 2Thhl .

A . RC net B. The current sources

The series resistors between two adjacent nodes i and i i- 1
have all the same value,
Ax2
R, = -.
R a
The value of the series resistors is variable during the
recovery process because the width of the base, and thus
o f the elemcnts, changes. Thus, a variable resistor must be
implemented [ 5 ] , [6] in the form of a current-controlled
voltage source, according to the following relationship
The corresponding Pspice code is:
The current sources only appear in the first and last nodes,
being zero elsewhere. Their values are the ones in (14) and
(15). The corresponding Pspice code, according to Fig. 3, is:
(1 6)
GI 0 1 VALUE={(I(Vdiode)*b/(l(Vw)*A*q*(l+b)))* I/kn-l/
+ kn*hp/I(Vw)*((V( l)*kn)**2)}
G5 0 5 VALLJE={(I(Vdiode)/(I(Vw)*A*q*(l+b)))*likn-llkn
-t *M(VW)*((V(5)*kn)**2)}
Vdiode 10 20 DC 0
where kn is a normalization constant needed for reaching the
convergence during simulations (Pspice does not work with
node voltages upper to 10 GV)
C. The diode voitage

E12 12 2 VALUE={(I(Vw)**2*I(V12))/Da} The diode voltage is calculated as the sum of three compo-
V12 I 12 DC 0 nents:
v w 21 22 DC 0 1) The voltage drop in the left and right junctions are
calculated from p l and p,+l, according to
The width of the elements in (17), are supplied in the form
of an electric current, as seen in the Pspice code. For the
K=Vi"-ln
( $) P I ' -

1913
 and

where N B is the base doping concentration [ ~ m - ~ ]ni,

] , Vr is
is the intrinsic ,carrier concentration [ ~ m - ~ and
the equivalent thermal voltage [VI.
The following Pspice code is used:

Ejl 30 40 VALIJE=(IF(V( l)>O,VT*LOG(V( l)*kn*NB/

+ (ni**2)),0))
Ejr 40 50 VALlJE=(IF(V(S)>O,VT*LOG(V(5)*kn/NB)
4- *O)}

2) The ohmic voltage drop along the base is given as Fig. 4. Test circuit.

Vres = RB . ID (20)
where of this current is calculated with a feedback scheme
that imposes zero concentration at the boundaries
during recovery IS], [ 6 ] , 1111, if it tends to become
negative. This current (that emulates a width) is now
and f i n , p p are respectively the electron and hole mo- subtracted from the total base width, also represented
bilities in the base region [cm2/(V. s)]. as a current source, and the resulting current is divided
For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that the con- for each element of the base. The value of each of the
centration between the two nodes of the i f helement to resistors imposes the individual width of the elements,
be eoual to which is equal for all the elements (i.e. all the resistors
Pi =
Pj + Pj+l take the same value). The following Pspice code is used:
2
where i represents the element number, and j represents Iw 0 21 DC 9m
the node number. The following Pspice code is used GSC21 0 VALUE={IF(V(l)~O,-ksc*V(l)),O}
for each element of the discretized base region: Rwl 21 0 lk

E m 1 70 0 VALUE={IF(V( I)>O,l/((V(l)+V(2))*kn*(up
+ +un)+2*NB *un), 1 /(2*N B*un))} 1v. StMULATION RESULTSA N D COMPARISONS BETWEEN
THEPROPOSED MODELAND THEFEM-BASEDMODEL/
For the whole base region, the following Pspice code is MEASUREMENTS
used: In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed Pspice
model, several simulations have been run,and the results are
Eres 20 30 VALUE={I(Vdiode)*2*I(Vw)/(A*q)*(V(70) presented and compared with experimental measurements and
+ +v(SO)+V(9o)+V( 100))) simulations using the FEM-based model [ 5 ] , [ 6 ] . Physical
parameters of the diode under test are: W = 90 pm, ~ h = l 10
3) The voltage drop during reverse recovery (assuming that ps, N B = 1014 ~ m - ~A , = 4 m2,D, = 25 cm2/s
the whole voltage drops in the left space charge region) and D, = 10 cm2/s. Carrier-carrier scattering and Auger
is computed as recombination effects were not taken into account here for the
sake of comparison with the FEM-based model, which has not
used theses effects either. The test circuit used to measure and
simulate the reverse recovery is presented in Fig. 4,while the
where E is the dieletric constant of silicon [F/cm], and circuit operating conditions and the most relevant performance
xi is the left boundary of the base region [cm]. parameters are reported in Table I. The results of two different
The following Pspice code is used: tests are highlighted in Fig. 5 and in Fig. 6 , showing excellent
agreement either with experiments or the FEM-based model.
Esc 50 60 VALUE={IF(V( I)<O,-q*Ndl(2*epsilon)*(ksc Finally, in Table I1 the relative percentual errors of the FDM-
+ *V(1))**2,0)} based model with respect to the FEM-based model in [SI
are presented. As a further example of the proposed model
As the width of each element is variable during recovery, capability, Fig. 7 shows the forward recovery behavior o f the
its value i s passed in the form of a current. The value diode under test.

1914
 40 I I t I l I 100

-40 ~ I I I I I I I I-700
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 I 1:2 1.4 1.6 I.& 2
Time (ps) Time (ps)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 I 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Time (ps) Time (ps)
40 I I I I I 1 100

-40 I I I I I I -700
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Time (ps) Time (ps)

Fig. 5. Reverse recovery transient - Test 2: (a) Experimental results, @) -

Fig. 6. Reverse recovery transient Test 5: (a) Experimental results, (b)
Simulation results using the FEM-based model, ( c ) Simulation results using Simulation results using the FEM-based model, (c) Simulation resulo using
the proposed model. the proposed modef,

As highlighted from the presented comparisons, the pro- [IO]. This is no longer true with the present model, owing
posed FDM-based model yields results in good agreement to the electrical circuit analogy, which allows it to reduce
with the FEM-based model. However it has to be stressed that the simulation to a Pspice subcircuit analysis. Moreover, the
the advantages of the proposed diode model based on FDM proposed model allows to investigate and plot the distributed
are the faster simulations and the use o f fewer components nature of charge dynamics in the base, which is not possible
modeling the base region. The components used in the model at all using most proposed models.
are simpler, resulting in less convergence problems, at least
in the sense that only the series resistances depend on the V. CONCLUSION
widths of the elements. In contrast, in the FEM-based model This paper has proposed an accurate model for power PIN
in [6], capacitors and shunt resistors are also dependent on the diodes, based on an equivalent circuit representation of the
element width, and for each element there are more resistors base region, developed from the Finite Difference solution
and capacitors than in the proposed model. In fact, the FEM- of the ADE. The model is easily implemented as a Pspice
based model uses 3 capacitors for each element, whereas in subcircuit which takes into account the emitter recombination
+
the FDM-based model there are just n 1 capacitors for n effects and the dynamic of the space-charge voltage build-
elements. In the past, it was used to say that numerical models up. Very good agreement has been obtained by comparing the
were very CPU time consuming and used to require a relatively results of the proposed Pspice diode model with experimental
complex interface between circuit simulator and ADE solver results and FEM-based simulations reported in literature . The

1915
 TABLE I
10
RESULTSf ROM MEASUREMENTS AND SIMULATIONS WITHIN PSPlCE
(FDM A N D FEM)
0
TABLE I1
RELATIVE PERCENTUAL ERRORS
proposed model can be applied to any device region in high
injection condition and therefore is suitable for the modeling of
many power devices beside PiN diode, like BJTs and IGBTs.
[lo] A.G.M. Strollo, " A new SPICE sidcircuit model of Power PIN diode
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
[ i l l Ph. teturcq, M.O. Berraies and J . - L Massol, " Implementation and
Authors would like to thank Professors Josk Roberto Cama-
cho and Jolo Batista Vieira Junior, from Federal University
of Uberlgndia (Brazil), and Professor Armando Sousa Arafijo,
from University of Porto (Portugal), for their support, sugges-
tions and supplied material.
1916
40
A
1 3 2
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Time (ns)
Fig. 7. Forward recovery.
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