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(Invited) Ruggedness of SiC and GaN Power Transistors in Switching Based Tests

Journal Article · · ECS Transactions
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

Currently, a spectrum of reliability tests are being performed by both device manufacturers and end users. Many of these qualification tests are operated within the device safe-operating-area (SOA), however, the devices often undergo dynamic events in many converter applications that can exceed the SOA boundaries. This paper presents our recent work on quantifying the out-of-SOA robustness of GaN power high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) and SiC power MOSFETs by switching based tests. The unclamped inductive switching stresses are applied to p-gate GaN HEMTs to evaluate their surge-energy and overvoltage robustness. The continuous, hard-switching, turn-off stresses are applied to SiC MOSFETs to evaluate their overvoltage switching robustness. As a result, both experiments demonstrate the robustness of SiC and GaN devices under out-of-SOA switching events, and the physics of degradation and failure are understood.

Research Organization:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0006521
OSTI ID:
2441271
Journal Information:
ECS Transactions, Journal Name: ECS Transactions Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 98; ISSN 1938-5862
Publisher:
Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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