Gummel-Poon model for 1.8 kV SiC high-voltage bipolar junction transistor

The Gummel-Poon model, which has been extensively used to model silicon BJTs, is applied to characterize the static and dynamic performance of a 1.8 kV, 0.3 A 4H-SiC epitaxial-emitter power BJT. The model parameters of the static forward and reverse active characteristics of the BJT have been extracted from experimental plots. To characterize the dynamic behavior, the capacitance-voltage curves of the base-emitter and the base-collector junctions have been measured along with the turn-on and turn-off switching characteristics. Good agreement has been obtained between the model and experimental results. Some of the key parameters that are extracted are the transport saturation current (IS), ideal maximum forward beta (BF), forward current emission coefficient (NF), the zero bias base resistance (RB), collector resistance (RC), the zero bias B-E depletion capacitance (CJE) and the zero bias B-C depletion capacitance (CJC). Some of the physical phenomena that determine the performance of a power BJT with special reference to 4H-SiC based bipolar devices are discussed and key modifications that need to be implemented in the present model to account for these phenomena are briefly presented.