Proceedings of the 2012 24th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs

3-7 June 2012 - Bruges, Belgium

Study of Electron and Hole Traps in Freewheeling

Diodes for Low Loss and Low Reverse Recovery
Surge Voltage
Satoru Kameyama, Masafumi Hara Tomohiro Kubo, Fumio Hirahara
Electronics Development Division 3 Discrete Semiconductor Division
Toyota Motor Corporation Toshiba Corporation
Toyota, Japan Kawasaki, Japan

Junpei Ebine, Koichi Murakami

Electronics Engineering Division 5
Toyota Technical Development Corporation
Toyota, Japan

Abstract—The purpose of the research described in this paper is
to achieve freewheeling diodes (FWDs) with low loss and low
reverse recovery surge voltage (Vdsurge). This paper discusses the
relationship between electron and hole traps and the electrical
properties of FWDs. Samples with controlled conditions of
electron and hole traps were fabricated by He irradiation and
annealing. The trap conditions were evaluated by deep level
transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and cathode luminescence (CL).
The electrical properties of the samples were measured and
simulated to analyze the samples. The analysis clarified that
controlling trap conditions is essential when designing device DC
and AC electrical properties as well as Vdsurge.
Keywords- Freewheeling diode, lifetime control, electron and
hole traps, reverse recovery surge voltage
I. INTRODUCTION
Customer demand for environmentally friendly vehicles
such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles
(EVs) is increasing due to their superior energy efficiency. In
order to meet this demand, Toyota Motor Corporation
developed the Toyota Hybrid System (THS). Freewheeling
diodes (FWDs) are one of the key devices in the THS. FWDs
Table 1. Fabricated FWD samples
with local lifetime control are well-known devices to achieve
low loss [1-3]. Several papers related to local lifetime
technologies have indicated that understanding the conditions
of traps introduced into a device is essential to prevent its
failure [4-6]. The purpose of the research described in this
paper is to achieve FWDs with low loss and low reverse
recovery surge voltage (Vdsurge). This paper discusses the
relationship between electron and hole traps and the electrical
properties of FWDs using experiments and simulations. It
clarifies that FWDs with low loss and low Vdsurge can be
produced by introducing local lifetime when the trap types,
levels, and concentrations are controllable.
II. DEVICE STRUCTURE
1.2 kV and 200 A class FWDs introduced with high or low
concentrations of electron and hole traps were fabricated as
shown in Table 1. The process parameters for the sample
fabrications were selected to control the electron and hole trap
conditions in the devices. The device structure of the samples is
described in Fig. 1 [3]. Local lifetime was introduced into the
devices by He irradiation and annealing

Intensity at DLTS Intensity at CL

Process parameter
(electron traps) (hole traps)
E1: Ec-0.17 eV E3: Ec-0.43 eV C: Ev +0.35 eV
For electron traps For hole traps
Trap type: OV [7] Trap type: VV [7] Trap type: C iOi [6]
*1 *1
Reference 1.00 1.00

Sample 1 0.44 1.00 0.80 0.75

Sample 2 2.22 1.00 1.15 1.07

*2 *2 *3
Sample 3 1.00 0.22 1.00 1.00 1.00

Sample 4 1.00 1.11 1.09 1.01 1.88

*1: Normalized by process parameters of reference sample
*2: Normalized by DLTS intensities of sample 3
*3: Normalized by CL intensities of sample 3

978-1-4577-1597-6/12/$26.00 ©2012 IEEE 369

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 Figure 1. Fabricated FWD structure
The electron trap conditions were measured by deep level
transient spectroscopy (DLTS) [3], as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
The hole trap conditions were detected by cathode
luminescence (CL) [4] as described in Fig. 4. The trap levels
and intensities are summarized in Table 1. The intensities of
DLTS and CL spectra represent the concentrations of the traps.
E1 and E2 in the DLTS spectra of Figs. 2 and 3 are related to
the vacancies in the devices [7]. The C line in the CL spectra of
Fig. 4 is generated by the CiOi hole traps in the devices [6]. It is
clear that the electron and hole trap levels and concentrations
are controlled by the selected process parameters.
Figure 2. Measured DLTS spectra of electron traps (samples 1 and 2)
Figure 3. Measured DLTS spectra of electron traps (samples 3 and 4)
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Figure 4. Measured CL spectra (samples 3 and 4)
III. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
The DC and AC electrical properties of the samples in
Table 1 were measured. Figures 5 and 6 show the measured
electrical properties of the samples. The trade-off curve
between the forward voltage drop (VF) and reverse recovery
time (trr) of the reference sample, sample 1, and sample 2 are
shown in Fig. 5. The electrical properties of samples 3 and 4
are on the same trade-off curve as that of samples 1 and 2. On
the other hand, the relationship between the Vdsurge and trr of
samples 1 and 2 in Fig. 6 are different from the trade-off line of
the electrical properties of samples 3 and 4. Figure 6 shows that
a device in which a shorter trr was achieved by controlling the
electron traps (such as sample 1) generates a higher Vdsurge. In
contrast, a device in which a shorter trr was achieved by
controlling the hole traps (such as sample 4) generates a lower
Vdsurge. It is clear that controlling trap conditions is important
when designing device DC and AC electrical properties as well
as Vdsurge. These results show that the targeted trade-off
property between VF, trr, and Vdsurge is achievable when the trap
types, levels, and concentrations are controllable. For example,
point A at the trr of 195 ns in Fig. 6 has a lower Vdsurge than that
of Point B on the same VF – trr trade-off curve.
Figure 5. VF – trr measured results
 Figure 6. trr – Vdsurge measured results Figure 8. Simulated waveforms (models 3 and 4)

IV. SIMULATION RESULTS

In order to understand the experimental results, device
simulations [8] were carried out. Electron or hole traps were
introduced into the models as shown in Table 2. The trap levels
in Table 2 refer to the measured results in Table 1.
The simulated waveforms are described in Figs. 7 and 8.
The results are consistent with the experiment results shown in
Fig. 6. In Fig. 7, the shorter trr of model 2 due to electron trap
introduction generates a higher Vdsurge. The shorter trr of model
4 due to the hole trap introduction generates a lower Vdsurge.
Table 2. Simulated FWD models
Energy level [eV]
Electron traps Hole traps Electron traps
Model 1 1.00
Ec - 0.43 [7] - -
Model 2 4.00
To analyze the waveforms in Figs. 7 and 8, the vertical
profiles of the electric field in the devices at the maximum
surge voltage in Figs. 7 and 8 were identified as shown in Figs.
9 and 10. It is clear that the introduced traps are related to the
profiles of the electric fields. The gradient of model 2
introduced with a higher electron trap level in Fig. 9 is lower
than that of model 1. On the other hand, the gradient of model
3 induced with a higher hole trap level in Fig. 10 is higher than
that of model 3.
Equation (1) [7] shows that the gradient of the electric field
(dE/dx) is related to the effective donor concentration (Neff) due
to the introduced positive or negative trap concentration (NT+).
The relationship of (1) causes the differences in the electric
Concentration [a.u.] field profiles shown in Figs. 9 and 10 as well as the differences
Hole traps
in the Vdsurge.
*4
dE/dx = q/ε (Neff) = q/ε (ND + NT+). (1)

Model 3 1.00
*4 q: Elementary charge
- Ev + 0.35 [6] -
Model 4 4.00 ε: Dielectric constant of silicon
*4: Normalized by trap concentrations of models 1 and 3

Figure 7. Simulated waveforms (models 1 and 2)

Figure 9. Simulated electric field profiles (models 1 and 2)

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 Figure 10. Simulated electric field profiles (models 3 and 4)

V. CONCLUSION
Samples with controlled levels of electron and hole traps
were fabricated by He irradiation and annealing. The trap
conditions were identified by DLTS and CL. The electrical
properties of the samples were measured and simulated to
analyze the relationship between the electron and hole traps
and the electrical properties of the samples. The analysis
clarified that controlling the trap conditions of FWDs with
introduced local lifetime is essential when designing DC and
AC electrical properties as well as Vdsurge.

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