3.5 kV trench dual-gate MOS controlled thyristor

The Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) offers excellent characteristics for 600-2000 V applications such as in motor control. However, the on-state voltage drop of the IGBT becomes very high when the blocking voltage is increased. MOS-gated thyristors have been reported that utilize current flow via thyristor action to obtain a low on-state voltage drop. However, these devices lack forward bias safe operating area (FBSOA), which makes it difficult to protect the device against short circuit failure. This paper presents a new device structure, the trench dual gate MOS controlled thyristor (T-DGMCT), that exhibits low on-state voltage drop like a MOS Controlled Thyristor (MCT) and current saturation (FBSOA) characteristics like an IGBT while operating at high (3.5 kV) voltages.