Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T02:02:31.112Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stability of Electrical Characteristics of SiC “Super” Junction Transistors under Long-Term DC and Pulsed Operation at various Temperatures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2012

Siddarth G. Sundaresan ,
Aye-Mya Soe  and
Ranbir Singh
Siddarth G. Sundaresan
Affiliation:
GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc, 43670 Trade Center Pl, Suite 155, Dulles, VA 20166, U.S.A.
Aye-Mya Soe
Affiliation:
GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc, 43670 Trade Center Pl, Suite 155, Dulles, VA 20166, U.S.A.
Ranbir Singh
Affiliation:
GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc, 43670 Trade Center Pl, Suite 155, Dulles, VA 20166, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

The reliability of the electrical characteristics of SiC “Super” Junction Transistors (SJTs) is investigated under long-term avalanche-mode, DC and pulsed-current operation. There is absolutely no change in the blocking I-V characteristics after a 934 hour repetitive avalanche stress test. Long-term operation of the Gate-Source diode (open-Drain mode) alone does not result in any degradation of the on-state voltage drop (VF) or current gain (β). Long-term operation in common-Source mode results in negligible VF or β degradation, if the base-plate is maintained at 25 °C. A greater degradation of β results with increasing base-plate temperature. The same total electrical charge, if passed through the SJT as a pulsed current instead of a DC current results in a smaller β reduction. It is also shown that this β degradation can be reversed by annealing at ≥ 200 °C, suggesting the possibility of degradation-free operation of SiC SJTs, when operating in pulsed current mode at ≥ 200 °C temperatures.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1433: Symposium H – Silicon Carbide 2012--Materials, Processing and Devices , 2012 , mrss12-1433-h02-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1 Singh, R., Jeliazkov, S., Lieser, E.: 1200 V-class 4H-SiC “Super” Junction Transistors with Current Gains of 88 and Ultra-fast Switching Capability, accepted for publication in Mater. Sci. Forum.Google Scholar
2 Buono, B., Ghandi, R., Domeij, M., Malm, B.G., Zetterling, C.-M., Ostling, M.: Current Gain Degradation in 4H-SiC, Mater. Sci. Forum 679–680, pp.702–705 (2011).Google Scholar
3 Konstantinov, A., DOmeij, M., Zaring, C., Keri, I., Svedberg, J.-O., Gumaelius, K., Ostling, M., Reimark, M. : Operation of Silicon Carbide BJTs Free from Bipolar Degradation, Mater. Sci. Forum 645–648, pp. 1057–1060 (2010).Google Scholar
4 Ghandi, R., Buono, B., Domeij, M., Zetterling, C.-M., Ostling, M.: High-Voltage (2.8 kV) Implantation-Free 4H-SiC BJTs Eith Long-Term Stability of the Current Gain, IEEE Trans. Electron. Devices 58(8), 2065–2669 (2011).Google Scholar
5 Zhang, Q., Burk, A., Husna, F., Callanan, R., Agarwal, A., Palmour, J., Stahlbush, R., Scozzie, C.: 4H-SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors: From Research to Development – A Case Study: 1200 V, 20 A, Stable SiC BJTs with High Blocking Yield, Proceedings of the 21st ISPSD Conference, pp.339–342 (2009).Google Scholar
6 Levinshtein, M., Ivanov, P., Palmour, J., Agarwal, A., Das, M.: Bipolar Degradation of high voltage 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes in pulse regime, Mater. Sci. Forum 679–680, pp.539–542 (2011).Google Scholar
7 Lindgren, A., Domeij, M.: Degradation free fast switching 1200 V 50 A Silicon Carbide BJTs, Proceedings of the 26th Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, pp.1064–1070 (2011).Google Scholar
8 Levinshtein, M.E., Mnatsakanov, T.T., Ivanov, P., Palmour, J.W., Rumyantsev, S.L., Singh, R., Yurkov, S.N.: “Paradoxes” of Carrier Lifetime Measurements in High-Voltage SiC Diodes, IEEE Trans. Electron. Devices 48(8), 1703–1709 (2001).Google Scholar
9 Caldwell, J.D., Stahlbush, R.E., Imhoff, E.A., Hobart, K.D., Tadjer, M.J.: Recombination-induced stacking fault degradation of 4H-SiC merged-PiN Schottky diodes, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 044504 (2009).Google Scholar
10 Caldwell, J.D., Glembocki, O.J., Stahlbush, R.E., Hobart, K.D.: Influence of Temperature on Shockley Stacking Fault Expansion and Contraction in SiC PiN Diodes, J. Electron. Mater. 37(5), 699–705 (2007).Google Scholar