A MOS Gated Power Semiconductor Switch Using Band-to-Band Tunneling and Avalanche Injection Mechanism

This paper proposes a novel concept for a mid- to high-voltage-power semiconductor switch that utilizes reverse band-to-band tunneling and an avalanche injection mechanism. The proposed tunneling-junction-enhanced metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (TJE-MOSFET) is predicted to have the best properties of both power MOSFETs and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs)-the two main competing power semiconductor technologies at mid-voltage (i.e., 500-1000 V) ratings. The structure and the operating mechanism of the TJE-MOSFET are described. The proposed novel device operates in a way that is similar to an IGBT; however, due to the inclusion of a nanostructured band-to-band tunneling junction, the internal barrier voltage for forward conduction is much smaller than that in an IGBT. Numerical simulation suggests that, at the same current level, the forward voltage drop of the TJE-MOSFET is much smaller than that of an IGBT. Compared to power MOSFETs, the new device has a lower forward voltage drop, even at very low current levels.