Power Transistor

Type of Power Transistor

• Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)
• Metal Oxide semiconductor Field Effect Transistor(MOSFET)
• Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)
POWER BJT
Power Transistor Symbol:
Power BJT Structure: 
• A Power BJT has a four layer structure of alternating P and N type doping as shown in
above NPN transistor.
• It has three terminals labeled as Collector, Base, Emitter.
• In most of Power Electronic applications, the Power Transistor works in Common Emitter
configuration. 
• ie, Base is the input terminal, the Collector is the output terminal and the Emitter is
common between input and output.
• In power switches NPN transistors are most widely used than PNP transistors.
• The characteristics of the device is determined by the doping level in each of the layers
and the thickness of the layers.
• The thickness of the dirft region determines the breakdown voltage of the Power
transistor.
Steady State Characteristics:
• The I-V characteristic of Power BJT divides into four regions.
• Cut-off region
• Active region
• Saturation region
1. Cut-off region:
• The BE and CB both junctions are reverse bias. The base current I B=0 and collector
current IC is equal to the reverse leakage current ICEO. The region below the
characteristic for IB=0 is cut-off region. In this region, BJT offers large resistance to
the flow of current. Hence it is equivalent to an open circuit.
2. Active region:
• The BE junction is forward bias and CB junction is reverse bias. The collector
current IC increase slightly with an increase in the voltage V CE if IB is increased. The
relation of IB and IC is, IC=βdcIB is true in the active region.
• If BJT uses as an amplifier or as a series pass transistor in the voltage regulator, it
operates in this region. The dynamic resistance in this region is large. The power
dissipation is maximum.
3. Quasi-saturation region:
•Quasi-saturation region is between the hard saturation and active region. This region exists due to
the lightly doped drift layer. When the BJT operates at high frequency, it is operated in this region.
Both junctions are forward bias. The device offers low resistance compared to the active region. So,
power loss is less. In this region, the device does not go into deep saturation. So, it can turn off
quickly. Therefore, we can use for higher frequency applications.
4. Hard-saturation region:
•The Power BJT push into the hard-saturation region from the quasi-saturation region by increasing
the base current. This region is also known as deep saturation region. The resistance offers in this
region is minimum. It is even less than the quasi-saturation region. So, when the BJT operates in this
region, power dissipation is minimum. The device acts as a closed switch when it operates in this
region. But it needs more time to turn off. So, this region is suitable only for low-frequency switching
application. In this region, both junctions are forward bias. The collector current is not proportional
to the base current, IC remains almost constant at IC(sat) and independent from the value of base
current.
Switching Characteristics
 Power MOSFET
Metal Oxide semiconductor Field Effect Transistor(MOSFET)
Circuit symbol & Basic structure
• It is three terminal devices
• Source
• Drain
• Gate
• Type of MOSFET
• N Channel Mosfet
• Depletion
• Enhancement
• P channel Mosfet
• Depletion
• Enhancement
• Its is voltage control devices

• A metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or

MOS FET) is a field-effect transistor (FET with an insulated gate) where the
voltage determines the conductivity of the device. It is used for switching or
amplifying signals.
Power MOSFET Structure
MOSFET Characteristics
• Static Characteristics
• Output Characteristics
• Transfer Characteristics
Transfer Characteristics
Output Characteristics
• Cut-off Region – It is the region where the device will be in the OFF condition and there zero
amount of current flow through it. Here, the device functions as a basic switch and is so
employed as when they are necessary to operate as electrical switches.
• Saturation Region – In this region, the devices will have their drain to source current value
as constant without considering the enhancement in the voltage across the drain to source.
This happens only once when the voltage across the drain to source terminal increases
more than the pinch-off voltage value. In this scenario, the device functions as a closed
switch where a saturated level of current across the drain to source terminals flows. Due to
this, the saturation region is selected when the devices are supposed to perform switching.
• Linear/Ohmic Region – It is the region where the current across the drain to source terminal
enhances with the increment in the voltage across the drain to source path. When the
MOSFET devices function in this linear region, they perform amplifier functionality.
• Pinchoff Voltage — is a minimum gate-
source voltage ie. | Vgs | at which a channel
become pinched off ie. Ids becomes​ zero
even |Vds| applied. After this pinchoff
voltage point | Vgs |=0 ie. It become
constant named as saturation region or
active region.
Switching characteristics
Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistor (IGBT)
What is IGBT
• The insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is essentially a three-
terminal power semiconductor device typically used as an electronic
switch in a wide range of applications. The IGBT combines the simple
gate-drive characteristics of the MOSFET with the high-current and
low-saturation-voltage capability of the bipolar transistor in a single
device. While specific IGBT datasheets and application notes from
manufacturers provide a wealth of useful information, navigating this
content can be time consuming, particularly for circuit designers new
to IGBTs. Fig. 1 shows the cross section, equivalent circuit and symbol
for an IGBT.
Symbol
• The BJT has low power loss but large turn off time therefore the switching speed of the
IGBT is slow. 
• The MOSFET has higher power loss due to high on state resistance but small turn off
time therefore the switching speed of the MOSFET is high.
• The IGBT has combine characteristics of BJT and MOSFET. 
• The configuration of IGBT consists of BJT and MOSFET in the Darlington configuration. 
• The input of the IGBT consists of MOSFET whereas the output consists of BJT.
•  As the current gain of the BJT has low, the voltage rating of the MOSFET should be high
for higher power rating. 
• The input characteristics of the IGBT should be similar to that of power MOSFET
whereas the output characteristics similar to that of BJT. 
Structure
• The basic structure of the IGBT is shown in the figure A. The structure
of the IGBT should be vertical in order to provide maximum area for
flow of current. As the on state resistance decreases, the power loss
also reduces.
• When we compare the structure of the IGBT with N- channel MOSFET
there is additional P+ layer substrate over N+ layer. 
• This layer makes PN junction diode with drift layer.This layer is called
as inject layer because it injects holes in the n- layer. 
• There are two types of impurities in the n type drift layer.
Types of IGBT
• NON-PUNCH THROUGH IGBT
• Lightly doped n- layer : 
• It is also called as drift layer. The forward blocking voltage in the IGBT depends
upon this layer’s doping level and width. It does not affect on state voltage
drop due to conductivity modulation.
• PUNCH THROUGH IGBT
• Heavily doped n+ layer : 
• It is not necessary for the operation of this layer.It lies between P+ layer and
n- layer. 
• Types of IGBTThe on state voltage drop , turn off time  and also reverse
voltage blocking capacity reduces due to this layer.
Operation
The operation of the IGBT is explained as follows
(A) Inversion layer :
• OFF STATE : 
• When gate-emitter voltage less than the threshold voltage, inversion layer is not created.  
• The forward voltage between collector to emitter  reverse biased  across junction J2 and
only leakage current flow.
• ON STATE:  
• When gate - emitter  voltage greater than threshold voltage inversion layer is created. 
• Due to this inversion layer conduction channel n+n n- is created, therefore flow of current is
possible.
Conducting modulation
• When forward voltage is given to collector to emitter , junction J3 becomes
forward biased therefore holes from P+ layer moves towards n+ buffer layer.
• The conducting channel is created due to inversion layer resulting resulting
there is creation of space charge region in the n- drift layer.
• Therefore holes are attracted from n+ buffer layer. The double injection
takes place (holes from left and electrons from right) in the n- drift layer
therefore its conductivity increases and resistance is decreased.
• Therefore due to conducting modulation on state voltage drop across device
is reduced.
Static Characteristics  
• The static characteristics of the IGBT is similar to BJT. 
• The controlling parameter in the BJT is base current whereas gate to emitter voltage in
the IGBT.
• Cut off region
• When the gate-emitter voltage is less than the threshold voltage, the collector to emitter
voltage is equal to supply voltage and it is called as cut off region. 
• The semiconductor device which can withstand forward voltage between collector to
emitter is called as forward breaker over voltage BVCE. 
• Its value depends upon avalanche breakdown voltage ( high reverse voltage across the
junction, it is moderately operated ) of the body – drain  PN junction diode.
•  There is only leakage current flows through the device. The forward breakdown voltage
depends upon collector current in the IGBT.
Active region:
• When the gate – emitter voltage greater than the threshold voltage, the
IGBT operates in the active region. 
• The collector current depends upon transfer characteristics of the IGBT. 
• As the gate – emitter voltage increases, the collector current also increases. 
• The characteristics becomes linear for higher value of collector current. 
• The ratio of collector current to the gate – emitter voltage is called as
forward transconductance.
Saturation region:
• When the gate – emitter voltage increases, the collector current also increases as shown in the transfer
characteristics of the IGBT.  
• The collector to emitter voltage decreases for a given load resistance RL. 
• The collector – emitter voltage ( VCE ) becomes less than the gate – emitter voltage ( VGE ) for a given
specific collector current therefore the MOSFET enter in the ohmic region and P+N-P transistor in the
saturation region. This is called as saturation region of the device. 
• The voltage drop across device becomes constant in this region and this voltage drop decreases as the gate
– emitter voltage ( VGE ) increases. 
• The secondary breakdown does not occurs in the IGBT as that of in the BJT. 
• The reverse voltage blocking capability of the punch through IGBT ( PT IGBT ) is in tens of volt due to
heavily doped n+ layer. 
• The Non punch through IGBT ( NPT IGBT ) can withstand maximum reverse voltage VRB. 
• The IGBT always operate in the saturation or cut off region.
Switching characteristics