Relaxation of current filament due to RFC technology and ballast resistor for robust FWD operation

Author

Nishii, Akito ; Nakamura, Katsumi ; Masuoka, Fumihito ; Terashima, Tomohide

Author_Institution

Power Device Works, Mitsubishi Electr. Corp., Fukuoka, Japan

fYear

2011

Firstpage

96

Lastpage

99

Abstract

We have investigated the destruction mechanism of High Voltage (HV) Free Wheeling Diodes (FWD) during a reverse recovery operation. The most possible mode of the destruction phenomena originate in local heating due to current filament at the edge portion of the active area. To achieve a large reverse recovery Safe Operation Area (SOA), we focus on the boundary region between the active area and the termination area. To enforce our Relaxed Field of Cathode (RFC) concept, it is more effective for the wider SOA to place a ballast resistance for avoiding the current from crowding around the anode region in the top surface of the diode.

Keywords

cathodes; power semiconductor diodes; resistors; FWD operation; RFC technology; anode region; ballast resistance; ballast resistor; current filament; diode; high voltage free wheeling diodes; local heating; relaxed field-of-cathode; reverse recovery operation; safe operation area; Anodes; Cathodes; Electronic ballasts; Resistance; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Silicon; Temperature distribution;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (ISPSD), 2011 IEEE 23rd International Symposium on

Conference_Location

San Diego, CA

ISSN

1943-653X

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-8425-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISPSD.2011.5890799

Filename

5890799