Advanced Power Conversion & Control 2021 - 2022 Advanced Power Conversion & Control 2021 - 2022

Power Transistors
Advanced Power Conversion
and Control  Power transistors are high power versions of
conventional small signal junction transistors.
 Power transistors used as switching elements are
operated in the saturation region resulting in a low
POWER SEMICONDUCTOR
on-state voltage drop.
DEVICES (2)  Switching speed of transistors is much higher that
the thyristors.
 However, voltage and current ratings of power
transistors are much lower than the thyristors.
 Transistors are current controlled devices and to
maintain a conducting state, a continuous base
current is required.

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Contents Power Transistors

 Power transistors  Power Transistors are classified as follows:
 Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT)  Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT)
 Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect  Metal-Oxide Semi-Conductor Field Effect
Transistor (MOSFET) Transistors (MOSFET)
 Insulated gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)  Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT)
 Static Induction Transistors (SIT)
 Other power semiconductors devices
 Wide Band Gap power semiconductor devices
 SiC and GaN
 Packaging of power electronics devices

Transistor module

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Power Transistors - BJT Power Transistors - BJT

 Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)  There are three ways to connect the BJT within an
electronic circuit:
 BJTs have 3 terminals: The control terminal is
 Common base  Voltage gain but no current
called the base (B). The other 2 terminals are the
gain
emitter (E) and the collector (C) which virtually
 Common emitter  Both current and voltage gain
carry all the current flowing through the BJT.  Common collector  Current gain but no voltage
 A small current through the base is used to control gain
the current flow between the collector and the  The Common Emitter configuration is generally used
emitter. pnp npn in switching applications as it produces the highest

current and voltage gains of all the 3 configurations.
 Input is applied
between emitter and
base and output is
taken from collector
and emitter
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Power Transistors - BJT Power Transistors - BJT

 There are two types of BJT: npn and pnp.
 n-p-n transistor: composed of 2 n-type  Input is applied
semiconductors separated by a thin section of p- between emitter and
type semiconductor. base and output is
 p-n-p transistor: composed of 2 p-type taken from collector
semiconductors separated by a thin section of n- and emitter
type semiconductor.
 BJTs can be operated in 3 regions: cut-off, active
and saturation.
Base-Emitter Collector-Base Operating region
Junction Junction
Reverse biased Reverse biased Cut-off Switch
(Transistor fully OFF)
 Both npn and pnp are available in the lower power Forward biased Reverse biased Active Amplifier
ranges, but for higher power ranges npn are used. Forward biased Forward biased Saturation Switch
(Transistor fully ON)
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Power Transistors - BJT Power Transistors - BJT

 Cut-off characteristic  When used in a Common Emitter mode, the BJT acts
as a current-controlled switch.
 The base current is the input and the collector
current is the output.

I E  I B  IC

 The current gain of the Common Emitter BJT

 Input and Base are grounded ( 0 V ) Amplifier is the ratio:
 Base-Emitter voltage VBE < 0.7 V I
 Base-Emitter junction is reverse biased β C
 Base-Collector junction is reverse biased IB
 Transistor is “fully-OFF” ( Cut-off region )
 No Collector current flows ( IC = 0 )
 VOUT = VCE = VCC = ”1″
 Transistor operates as an “open switch”

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Power Transistors - BJT Power Transistors - BJT

 Saturation characteristic  Typical applications of BJTs

BJTs have a variety of power electronic functions:
 Switched-mode power supplies
 Motor drives
 PWM inverters

 Input and Base are connected to VCC

 Base-Emitter voltage VBE > 0.7 V
 Base-Emitter junction is forward biased
 Base-Collector junction is forward biased
 Transistor is “fully-ON” ( saturation region )
 Max Collector current flows (IC = Vcc/RL )
 VCE = 0 ( ideal saturation )
 VOUT = VCE = ”0″
 Transistor operates as a “closed switch”
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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - MOSFET

 The MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field  Depletion mode

Effect Transistor) is a voltage-controlled device  The negative gate forces free electrons in the n-
requiring a small input gate voltage. channel away from the gate creating a layer of
 The MOSFET has 3 terminals: the source, the gate positive charges i.e. depleted layer.
and the drain.  Less number of free
 n – channel MOSFET electrons in the n-channel
 p – channel MOSFET
will decrease the
conductivity of the channel
(i.e. its resistance is
increased).

 Therefore, by changing the negative gate voltage

we can vary resistance of the n-channel and hence
current flow from the source to the drain. 15

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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - MOSFET

 The MOSFET gate is electrically insulated from the main current  Enhancement mode
carrying channel.  The positive gate attracts free electrons in the
 This isolation of the controlling gate makes the input substrate toward the n-channel which add to the
impedance of the MOSFET very high (M region) which
free electrons already in the n-channel.
ensures that “Very little current flows into the gate”.
 MOSFETs are of 2 types:  The total number of
 Depletion MOSFET (D-MOSFET) electrons is increased
Depletion mode = reduced channel width which will increase the
(reduced conductivity) conductivity of the
Can be operated in both depletion mode and channel.
enhancement mode  Therefore, by changing the
 Enhancement MOSFET (E-MOSFET) positive gate voltage we
Enhancement mode = increased channel width can increase or enhance
Can be operated only in enhancement mode the conductivity of the n-
channel. 16

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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - MOSFET

 Depletion-type MOSFET (D-MOSFET)  The D-MOSFET requires the Gate-Source voltage (VGS)
 Depletion MOSFETs can be of either n-channel or to switch the device ON.
p-channel type.  The D-MOSFET is equivalent to a normally closed
 n-channel Depletion MOSFETs consist of a p- switch.
type Silicon Substrate with two highly doped n+  The gate and the channel form the plates of a small
Silicon for low resistance connection. capacitor with the metal oxide as the dielectric.
 The gate is isolated from the channel by an SiO2
layer.  Since the gate is insulated
D +
Metal from the channel, we can
n D
apply either a positive
G n
p-type
substrate G
voltage (depletion mode)
or negative voltage
+ S
S n Channel
(enhancement mode) to
Oxide
n-channel Depletion MOSFET the gate.
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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - MOSFET

 p-channel Depletion MOSFETs consist of an n-  Enhancement-type MOSFET (E-MOSFET)
type substrate into which two highly doped p+  The more common Enhancement-type MOSFET is
regions and p channel are diffused. the reverse of the Depletion-type MOSFET.
 Enhancement-type MOSFET has no physical
Metal
channel.
+
D p
D  They can be either of n-channel or p-channel
n-type Enhancement-type MOSFET.
G p substrate G

+ S Metal
S p Channel D +
n D
Oxide
p-type
G
substrate G
p-channel Depletion MOSFET
S
+
n S

Oxide
n-channel Enhancement MOSFET
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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - IGBT

 The E-MOSFET starts conducting when a gate-to- • The IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) is a
source voltage VGS with appropriate magnitude and semiconductor device with 4 alternating layers (p-n-
polarity is applied. p-n) that are controlled by a MOS gate structure and
 The minimum voltage that turns the E-MOSFET ON is has 3 terminals: gate (G), collector (C) and emitter
called threshold voltage VGS (th). (E).
 The n-channel E-MOSFET requires a positive VGS  VGS  When collector-gate voltage is
positive with respect to the emitter,
(th) and the p-channel E-MOSFET requires a negative
VGS  VGS (th) . the device is in forward blocking
mode.
 When VGS = 0 V there is no  When the gate to emitter voltage
channel connecting the becomes greater than the threshold
source and drain so there voltage of the IGBT, the device is in
is no current. The E- the forward conducting state.
MOSFET is normally OFF.
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Power Transistors - MOSFET Power Transistors - IGBT

 Enhancement-mode MOSFETs are ideal for use as  The IGBT is a cross between the BJT and MOSFET. It
electronic switches due to their low ON resistance combines the power handling capability of the BJT
and extremely high OFF resistance and extremely with the fast switching of the MOSFET.
high gate resistance.  The IGBT is voltage-controlled device and requires
higher control gate voltage.
 Typical applications of MOFSETs
 The IGBT has a reasonable constant voltage drop of
 Microprocessors, memories
typically 2.5 V, similar to the BJT.
 Calculators, logic gates, etc.
 Motor control

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Power Transistors - IGBT Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 Typical applications of IGBTs  Static induction transistor (SIT)

 IGBTs are used in a vast array of applications:  Also called power junction field effect transistor
 DC and AC motor drives or power JFET
 General purpose inverters  Features:
 Uninterruptable power supply (UPS)  Fast switching, comparable to power MOSFET
 Traction systems, elevators  Higher power-handling capability than power
 Welding equipments MOSFET
 Servo controls, robotics
 Induction heating  Higher conduction losses than power MOSFET
 Normally-on device, not convenient (could be
made normally-off but with even higher on-
state losses).

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 Static induction transistor (SIT)  Static induction thyristor (SITH)

 Static induction thyristor (SITH)  Also called field controlled thyristor, field
controlled diode (FCD).
 MOS controlled thyristor (MCT)
 Power-handling capability similar to the GTO
 Integrated gate-commuated thyristor (IGCT)
 Faster switching speeds than the GTO
 Power electronic devices based on wide band gap
semiconductor materials  Normally-on device, not convenient (could be
made normally-off but with even higher on-state
losses)

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT)  WBG power semiconductors

 MCT is a voltage-controlled, fully controllable  WBG semiconductors are materials that possess
thyristor bandgaps significantly larger than that of Silicon.
 Basically, MCT is a thyristor with 2 MOSFETs built
Material Chemical Bandgap
into the gate structure known as ON-FET (for Symbol Energy (eV)
turning on the MCT) and OFF-FET (for turning off Germanium Ge 0.7
the MCT).
Silicon Si 1.1
 Essentially a GTO with integrated MOS-driven Galium GaAs 1.4
gates controlling both turn-on and turn-off Arsenide
 The difficulty is how to design a MCT that can be Silicon SiC 3.3
turned on and turned off equally well. Carbide
Zinc Oxide ZnO 3.4
 Not commercialized in a large scale. The future
remains uncertain. Gallium GaN 3.4
Nitride
Diamond C 5.5

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices
 Integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT)  Two major WBG materials with the potential to
Introduced in 1997 by ABB. enable significant advances in the next generation
power semiconductors are Silicon Carbide (SiC)
Actually, the close packaging of GTO and the
and Galium Nitride (GaN).
gate drive circuit with multiple MOSFETs in
parallel providing the gate currents.  WBG power devices have the capability to
operate with greater efficiency at:
Conduction drop, gate driver loss, and switching
 High voltages
speed are superior to GTO.
 High temperatures
Competing with IGBT and other new devices to
replace GTO.  High switching frequencies
 Very low switching losses (up to 1/10th of Si)
 Smaller size and ultimate lower cost

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 SiC is the most mature WBG power  Available SiC power diodes
semiconductor material.  Schottky barrier diodes (SBD): extremely high
 In SiC, half of the silicon is replaced with carbon switching speed but lower blocking voltage and high
which gives the material a more robust and stable leakage current.
crystalline structure.  PiN diodes: high-voltage operation and low leakage
 Compared to Si, SiC has: current, reverse recovery charging during switching.
 10 x the dielectric breakdown
field strength i = undoped intrinsic
 3 x the bandgap semiconductor layer
 3 x the thermal conductivity  Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes: Schottky-like
on-state and switching characteristics, and PiN-like off-
 GaN has much more potential than SiC to achieve state characteristics.
higher switching frequency but has a lower
thermal conductivity.

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 Characteristics of SiC and GaN

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Other New Power Semiconductor Devices

 Possible new applications

 Power converters SiC and GaN-
 Electric vehicles based switches

SiC and GaN-

 Smart transportation based sensors
 Smart house

SiC and GaN-

 Information technology non-volatile
memories
 LED displays
GaN-based light
 Solid state lighting emitters

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Other New Power Semiconductor Devices Power Semiconductor Devices Packaging

 What is packaging?
 A package is an enclosure for a single element, an
integrated circuit or a hybrid circuit.
 It provides hermetic or non-hermetic protection,
determines the form factor, and serves as the first
level interconnection externally for the device by
means of package terminals. [Electronic Materials
Handbook]
 Packaging function in power electronics:
 Mechanical support
 Electrical interconnection (power and signal
distribution)
 Heat dissipation (Improved heat transfer and
cooling)
 HV insulation (HV partial discharges)
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Power Semiconductor Devices Packaging

 Insulated modules
 Used for industrial and transportation applications
(typically 100 kW - 3 MW)
 Insulated packages are suited for Multi Chip
packaging IGBTs.

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Power Semiconductor Devices Packaging

 Press-pack modules
 Press-pack technology improves the connection of
the chips by direct contact, which leads to
improved reliability, higher power density, easier
stacking for series connection and better cooling
capability.

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