Optimal Emitter Cell Geometry in High Power 4H-SiC BJTs

Author

Salemi, Arash ; Elahipanah, Hossein ; Zetterling, Carl-Mikael ; Ostling, Mikael

Author_Institution

Sch. of Inf. & Commun. Technol., KTH R. Inst. of Technol., Kista, Sweden

Volume

36

Issue

10

fYear

2015

Firstpage

1069

Lastpage

1072

Abstract

Three 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistor designs with different emitter cell geometries (linear interdigitated fingers, square cell geometry, and hexagon cell geometry) are fabricated, analyzed, and compared with respect to current gain, ON-resistance (RON), current density (JC), and temperature performance for the first time. Emitter size effect and surface recombination are investigated. Due to a better utilization of the base area, optimal emitter cell geometry significantly increases the current density about 42% and reduces the ON-resistance about 21% at a given current gain, thus making the device more efficient for high-power and high-temperature applications.

Keywords

current density; power bipolar transistors; silicon compounds; surface recombination; wide band gap semiconductors; ON-resistance; SiC; bipolar junction transistor designs; current density; current gain; emitter cell geometries; emitter size effect; hexagon cell geometry; high power 4H-SiC BJT; linear interdigitated fingers; optimal emitter cell geometry; square cell geometry; surface recombination; temperature performance; Current density; Fingers; Geometry; Junctions; Passivation; Silicon carbide; ON-resistance; Power 4H-SiC BJTs; current density; current gain; surface recombination;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2015.2470558

Filename

7210175