A new approach to a nondestructive reverse bias safe operating area test system

Author

Turner, Allen E. ; Devore, Joe

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Clemson Univ., SC, USA

Volume

40

Issue

6

fYear

1991

fDate

12/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

944

Lastpage

950

Abstract

An approach to a nondestructive reverse bias safe operating area (RBSOA) test system that greatly simplifies system construction while equaling the performance of previous systems has been developed. The approach is simpler because it utilizes a single solid state device as the primary component of the protection circuit instead of vacuum tubes. This is possible because the measurement technique utilized here effectively eliminates the turn-on delay of the protection circuit which includes the unacceptably long turn-on delay of the solid state device. The system also includes several new measurement modes that were not possible or available with previous systems

Keywords

bipolar transistors; electric breakdown of solids; nondestructive testing; power transistors; protection; semiconductor device testing; crowbar circuit; electric breakdown; nondestructive reverse bias safe operating area test; power transistors; protection circuit; second breakdown; solid state device; turn-on delay; Breakdown voltage; Circuit testing; Delay effects; Electric breakdown; Instruments; Nanoscale devices; Nondestructive testing; Solid state circuits; System testing; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9456

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/19.119772

Filename

119772