Energy efficient and high temperature power semiconductors : silicon carbide diode characterization

• Main Author: Heng, Gary.
• Other Authors: Tseng King Jet
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Power electronics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16760
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The advantages Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor materials have over conventional Silicon (Si) are of such significance that has resulted in the gradual replacement of current Si devices and their applications. To date, numerous research journals investigating the properties of SiC diodes have been published and are widely available on online engineering databases. However, most of these studies seemed to reveal only selective details of their test equipment and conditions, as well as device ratings of the test circuit components. Hence, due to the lack of transparency of test details, the results may not be perfectly accurate. In this study, commercially available SiC Schottky and super fast Si p-n junction diodes are electrically tested and characterized as a function of temperature up to 143°C. Electrical tests specifically only involved the dynamic portion and are evaluated using a DC to DC buck converter. In addition, a wider range and more indepth test conditions have been devised so as to provide a more comprehensive analysis. All the test methodologies, equipment and environment are faithfully detailed and documented, resulting in enhanced transparency on the test process. For the transient tests, it can be observed that the SiC Schottky diode displayed low reverse recovery currents over the range of temperatures tested. On the contrary, the Si pn-junction diode showed increasing peak reverse current values and reverse recovery times with increasing temperature.