Power Electronics

Components

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 1
 Diodes

Double diode module used for medium Higher power types of diode module that
power applications can be bolted onto metal heatsinks

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 2
 V-I Characteristics of Diodes

VF

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 3
 Diodes

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 Forward bias

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 Diodes

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 Thyristor

Thyristor is a family of power semiconductor switching devices.

Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) is universally referred to as the
thyristor.

The structure and symbol of the thyristor are shown as:

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 7
 Principle of operation of Thyristor
Forward blocking state or off-state

When the end P layer is made positive with respect to the end N layer,
junctions J1 and J3 are forward biased, but the middle junction J2 becomes
reverse biased. J2 is said to become a depletion layer and prevents any current
to flow through the device.

Forward biased

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 8
 Principle of operation of Thyristor
Reverse blocking state or off-state

When the end N layer is made positive with respect to the end P layer, J2
becomes forward biased, J1 and J3 become reverse biased, and do not
allow any current flow through the device.

Reverse biased

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 9
 Forward conducting condition
No gate signal is applied
Forward voltage > VBO
When the forward voltage is increased with the
gate kept open, avalanche breakdown occurs at J2
at a forward break-over voltage VBO, the thyristor
switches into a low impedance condition.

Forward Blocking region

Avalanche breakdown

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 10
 Forward conducting condition

Forward voltage < VBO

Gate-signal is applied

•The thyristor turns-on before VBO is reached. The

higher the gate current, the lower is the forward
break-over voltage.

•Once the SCR is in conducting state, the gate signal

is no longer required to maintain the device in its
ON state.

•The more convenient, reliable and efficient method

of turning on a thyristor is to employ the gate drive
mode.

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 11
 Power MOSFET

Metal-oxide –semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

1.A power MOSFET is a voltage controlled device and requires only a

small input current in order to control very large power transformation.

2.The gate of the MOSFET is insulated from the channel by a silicon

dioxide layer (SiQ2).

Depletion region

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 I-V Characteristics

MOSFET acts as a conductor whose value is determined by VGS. The value

of VGS at which a sufficient number of mobile electrons accumulated in
the channel region to form a conducting channel is call threshold voltage
Vt .
Positive voltage potential on Gate will
induce a N-type conducting channel
between source and drain.

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 I-V Characteristics

When VDS ≥VGS - Vt , the channel is pinched off at the drain end. Increase
VDS further has little effect on the channel’s shape, hence the current ID.

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 14
 I-V Characteristics

MOSFETs have similar output characteristics as FET or JFET.

i
D [v - V = v ]
GS GS(th) DS
ohmic Triode region
Saturate region
V
GS5

active
V
GS4

V
GS3

V
GS2

VGS1

VDS
v
V < V DS
GS GS(th) BV
DSS

Cut off region

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 Driving power MOSFET

VCC
N-Channel (enhancement mode) MOSFET
arrow to the Gate
– ON if VGS is higher than the ON
Drain
threshold value Vt
VGS Gate
– OFF if VGS is less than the ON
threshold value Vt Source
0V

Body diode is used to bypass the reverse

current during the switching transaction.

N-Channel

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301CDE Dr. Ming Yang, AAEE, Coventry University 16
 Driving power MOSFET

P-Channel (enhancement mode) MOSFET VCC

arrow to the Source
– ON if -VGS is higher than the ON
threshold value Vt
VGS Source
– OFF if -VGS is less than the ON Gate

threshold value Vt 0V
Drain
– ON state resistance is usually
considerably higher than N-Channel
MOSFETs.
– Negative voltage is applied between
Gate and Source. P-Channel

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 Driving power MOSFET

1. In order to turn a MOSFET on, a voltage source (pulse) is

needed to deliver sufficient current to charge the input
capacitor.
2. Excessive voltage applied to the gate may cause breakdown of
oxide layer causing a permanent damage to the MOSFET.
3. When a MOSFET is operated at very high frequencies, design
precautions must be taken to minimise the problem of
oscillations.

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 Driving power MOSFET

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 Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)

The IGBT transistor takes the best parts of these two types of
transistors, the high input impedance and high switching speeds of a
MOSFET with the low saturation voltage of a bipolar transistor, so it is
capable of handling large collector-emitter currents with virtually zero
gate current drive.

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 Merits

The main advantages of IGBT over a Power MOSFET and a BJT are:

1.Very low on-state voltage drop due to conductivity modulation

and superior on-state current density.
2.Low driving power and a simple drive circuit due to the input MOS
gate structure.

The main drawbacks are:

1.Switching speed is inferior to that of a Power MOSFET but

superior to that of a BJT.
2.There is a possibility of latchup due to the internal PNPN thyristor
structure.

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 Basic structure

The IGBT transistor takes the best parts of MOSFET and BJT

Source (Emitter) Gate

Metallisation
SiO2
n+ n+
Body layer
p Source layer

n- Drift layer

n+ Buffer layer

p+ Injection layer

Drain (Collector)

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 Creation of an inversion layer

Gate
Metallisation
VGS SiO2

n
n+ n- n+ p+
p
Emitter Collector
J1 J2 J3
Source and Body Buff layer
Drift layer
Body shorted layer

When the gate to source voltage VGS greater than threshold voltage is
applied, a n-type inversion layer is created just beneath the SiO2 layer , so
a channel (n+ n n-) is formed which helps to establish the current.

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 Conductivity modulation (VC is applied to C & E)
Gate
electrons holes
VGS
Collector
n
n+ n- n+ p+
p
Emitter
VC
J1 J2 J3
Source and
Body Drift layer Buff layer
Body shorted

J3 is forward biased. Due to the presence of the inversion layer, electrons

from emitter are injected into the n- drift layer via (n+ n n-) channel. J3 will
inject holes into the n+ buff layer. Holes and electrons combine in the drift
layer. Double injection takes place in the draft layer from both sides.

The double injection increases the conductivity of the drift region and
reduces the resistance to its minimum.

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 IGBT vs MOSFET

The main difference between a MOSFET and a IGBT is that, there is

no conductivity modulation of drift layer in MOSFET. Therefore the
on-state resistance is high in MOSFET, and hence the on-state
power-loss.

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 Basic IGBT circuits

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 Temperature control in power devices

Electrical model of a power diode

D R
IF IF IF
+ _
_
+ + _
VD VR = IF R

Total Forward Voltage of the diode VF = VD + VR

VD = Voltage across the depletion layer

VD = 0.6V to 0.7 V ( typically) for a Silicon Diode.
VR = Voltage drop across the Body Resistance of the diode R

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 Temperature control in power devices

Power dissipation of electrical components raises the internal

temperature and affects performance and reliability.

Typical semiconductor packages are designed for maximum p-n junction

temperature Tjmax of 125ᵒC.

Power-losses in semiconductor devices appear in the form of heat. Heat

transfer takes place in three ways:
•Conduction
•Convection
•Radiation

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 Steady-state thermal model

Electrical quantities Thermal quantities

1 Voltage potential (V) Temperature difference (ᵒC)
2 Current (A) Thermal power (W)
3 Electrical resistance (Ω) Thermal resistance (ᵒC/W)

By analogy with Ohm’s law, the steady-state temperature difference

ΔT1-2=T2 – T1 when a thermal power of P (W) flows through a thermal
resistor of Θ1-2 ᵒC/W we the following formula

T2  T1
12  C / W
P

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 Temperature control in power devices
TA

TC ϴC-A

ϴJ-C

P
TJ

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 Steady state thermal model for Power diodes

Case
temperature TC TC ΔTC-A

θC - A
ΔTJ-C θJ - C
Junction Ambient
TJ TA
temperature TJ temperature TA
PD

Power diode

Ta b  PD a b Temperature difference between a and b C

o
Va-b

PD  Internal power loss WATTS ID

 a b  THERMAL RESISTANCE between a and b C / WATT

o
Ra-b

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 Temperature control in power devices
TA

ϴH-A

TH

ϴC-H
TC ϴJ-C

P
TJ

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 Thermal model with a heatsink

TC ΔTC-H

θC - H
TH
ΔTJ-C θJ - C

θH - A ΔTH - A Heatsink
TJ

PD
TA

Power diode

Steady state thermal model for a power diode mounted on a heatsink

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 Metal fins to provide increased surface area

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 Power diodes that can be mounted on heatsinks

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 Power diodes mounted on heatsinks

Metal heatsinks

POWER DIODE

MOSFET

Thermally conductive paste to improve the contact between case and heatsink

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 Fan providing forced air cooling

Heatsink

Forced air cooling can provide a significant reduction of the effective thermal
resistance of a heatsink

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 Power diode with a built in heatsink

Heatsink fins

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 Example 1

A silicon power diode is carrying a current I = 18 Amps.

The diode has a bulk resistance = 0 .06 Ohms.
The voltage across the internal depletion layer VD = 0.7 V.
The thermal resistance between junction and case ΘJ-C =0.5 0C/W
and the thermal resistance between case and ambient air
ΘC-A = 30C/W . The ambient air temperature = 300C.

•Calculate the power losses in the diode.

•The internal junction temperature of the diode.

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 Example 2

Calculate the thermal resistance of a HEATSINK that will limit the

internal junction temperature of the diode defined in example 1 to
1200C. The thermal resistance between the case and the heatsink
ΘC-H= 0.2 0C/W , and the ambient air temperature = 300C.

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