Evolution of Electrical Performance in First Generation of SiC MOSFET for Low Voltage Applications after Short-Circuit Aging Tests

Abstract

Studying the reliability and robustness of some components, in particular wide band gap (WBG) devices, under severe conditions such as short-circuits, is an important issue. Among this WBG is the SiC, which is presently one of the dominant power switching devices in renewable energy converters such as photovoltaic and automotive power electronic converters. This paper presents aging tests of SiC MOSFET from CREE subjected to repetitive short-circuit operations. The experimental tests are detailed. The evolution of the electrical static characterizations (drain current Id and gate-source voltage Vgs waves), before and after aging, is presented. Furthermore, the repetitive short-circuit aging effect on electrical parameters (threshold voltage Vth, on-state resistance Rdson and Igss gate and Idss drain leakage currents) is carried out.