An investigation of how circuit parameters affect the short-circuit type 2 ruggedness in FS-IGBT

Abstract

Field-stop insulated gate bipolar transistors (FS-IGBTs) are extensively utilized in various power applications because of their lower conduction and switching losses. However, as application conditions become more demanding, there is an increasing need for improved reliability and ruggedness of the FS-IGBT. Short circuits are one of the most common failures of FS-IGBTs. Under these circumstances, the device may conduct unexpectedly or operate with minimal bus parasitic inductance, leading to a significant increase in the device's junction temperature. Failure to turn off the FS-IGBT promptly may result in thermal runaway and device burnout. Short-circuit type 2 (SC2) is more frequently observed in practical FS-IGBT applications than short-circuit type 1 (SC1). Nevertheless, the majority of current research primarily concentrates on SC1, with relatively limited studies on SC2 of FS-IGBTs. This study aims to investigate the circuit parameters of SC2 and comprehensively analyze the impact of each parameter on SC2. The experimental results indicate that the bus voltage V_DC, gate voltage V_G, and temperature T_C significantly affect the SC2 performance of the FS-IGBT. Therefore, a moderate decrease in V_DC, V_G, and T_C can effectively enhance the ruggedness of SC2 and the short-circuit withstand time t_SC of the device.