POWER SEMICONDUCTOR

DEVICES

POWER SWITCHES
PE switches works in 2 states:
1. On (short circuit)
2. Off (open circuit)
Applications using switching is desirable
because of relatively small power loss in
the device.
For ideal switch:
when switch is open, no current flow in it
when switch is closed, no voltage drop across it
Since power is a product of voltage and current, no losses
occurs in the switch.
Power is 100% transferred from source to load.

DIODE
Uncontrollable switch : on/off conditions is
determined by voltages & currents in the circuit.
On : The diode is forward biased (when the
current, iD positive)
Off : The diode is reversed-biased (when vD is
negative)
Reverse recovery time, trr is the time required for
the diode to be off & its current become zero.

DIODE CHARACTERISTIC

A Power Diode is used when a large current is involved which needs a

larger junction to dissipate the heat generated. An advantage of using
the Power Diode is it is able to withstand high voltage without being
damaged. A disadvantage about the Power Diode is that being a large
junction it is unable to stand high frequency applications.

REVERSE RECOVERY TIME IN

POWER DIODE
Normally less
than 1 sec

Dynamic characteristic of a non-ideal diode is reverse

recovery current.
When diode turns off, the current in it decreases and
momentarily becomes negative before becoming zero.
Time trr is usually less than 1 s : this phenomenon is
important to consider in high-freq apps.
Fast recovery diodes designed to have small trr
compared to the diodes designed for line-frequency
apps.

TYPES OF DIODES
Line Frequency (General Purpose Diode)
- relatively have high reverse recovery time, trr =
25 s
- used in low speed applications (where trr is not
critical)
- eg : diode rectifiers & converters for a low input
frequency up to 1kHz apps.
- cover very high current (up to 5 kA) & voltage (5
kV)
rating

TYPES OF DIODES
Fast Recovery Diode
- have low recovery time, normally <1 s
- used in dc-dc & dc-ac circuits, where speed recovery
of often critical importance
- cover very high current, voltage (50V 3 kV)
Schottky Diode
- metal-to-silicon barrier
- very low forward voltage drop (0.3V)
- limited (reverse voltage) blocking voltage (50-100V)
- Used in low voltage, high current application such as
switched mode power supplies

TRANSISTORS BIPOLAR
JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (BJT)
On-state is achieved by providing sufficient base current
to derive the BJT into saturation.
Rating : Voltage (VCE <1000V), current (IC <400A),
switching frequency (up to 5 kHz), Low on-state voltage
(VCE(SAT) = 2-3V)
Off state is achieved when base current is zero
Power BJT is a current controlled device and it has low
gain hfe value (<20). Need high base current to obtain
reasonable IC.
Darlington configurations have 2 connected BJTs. The
effective current gain of combination is approximately the
product of 2 individual gains and thus reduce the current
required from the drive circuit.

TRANSISTORS BIPOLAR
JUNCTION TRANSISTOR (BJT)

(d) Darlington connection

BJT as a Switch - RecaP

A BJT can be used as a switching device in logic circuits to
turn on or off current to a load. As a switch, the transistor
is normally in either cutoff (load is OFF) or saturation
(load is ON).
+ VCC
RC

0V

IC = 0

+VCC

+VCC

RC

RC

RB

IB = 0

In cutoff, the transistor looks

like an open switch.

RB

+VBB
IB

+VCC
IC(sat)

IC(sat)

RC
C

In saturation, the transistor

looks like a closed switch.

TRANSISTORS MOSFET
MOSFET is a voltage-controlled device & can be used in PE
circuits. Power MOSFET are the enhancement type rather
than the depletion type.
A sufficient large gate-to-source voltage will turn the device
on, and when the VGS is 0V it will turn off.
In on-state, the change of VDC is linearly proportional to the
change in iD. Thus, the MOSFET can be modelled as an onstate resistance RDC(on) (few miliohms).
MOSFET is optimal for low-voltage operation at high
switching frequencies.
Ratings can be up to 1500V & more than 600A. Switching
frequency up to MHz.
MOSFET is dominant in high frequency applications
(>100kHz). Biggest application is in SMPS.

TRANSISTORS MOSFET

TRANSISTORS INSULATED-GATE
BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT)
IGBT is an integrated connection of a MOSFET & BJT.
IGBT circuit is similar as for MOSFET, while the on
state characteristics are like those of the BJT.
Low losses like BJT due to low on state collector
emitter voltage (2-3V)
For very high power devices & applications,
frequency is limited to several kHz.
IGBT has replaced BJTs in many applications.

TRANSISTORS INSULATED-GATE
BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT)

(a) Equivalent circuits

(b)Circuit symbols

THYRISTOR
Thyristor are electronic switches used in some PE
circuits where the control switch on is required.
Thyristor is a 3 terminal devices include the silicon
controlled rectifier (SCR), triac, gate turn-off thyristor
(GTO), & MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT).
Thyristor are capable of large currents and large
blocking voltages for use in high-power application,
but switching frequencies cannot be as high as when
using other devices such as MOSFETs.

THYRISTOR
For SCR to begin to conduct, it must have gate
current applied while positive anode-to-cathode
voltage.
After connection established, the gate signal no
longer required to maintain
THYRISTORthe anode current.
The SCR will continue to conduct as long as the
anode current remains positive & above the
minimum value called the holding level.

THYRISTOR

(a) Silicon
controlled
rectifier (SCR)
(b) SCR idealized
iv
characteristic
(c) Gate turn-0ff
(GTO)
(d) Triac
(e) MOS-controlled
thyristor (MCT)

THYRISTOR
GTO is turned on by a short-duration gate current if the
anode-to-cathode voltage is positive & can be turned off
with a negative gate current which make the design of
gate drive quite difficult. It has slow switching speed & it
is used at very high power levels.
Triac thyristor is capable of conducting current either in
either direction. It is equivalent to 2 antiparallel SCRs.
For MCT, the function is equivalent to GTO but without
high turn off gate current requirement. It has SCR & 2
MOSFET integrated in a device. It can be turn on and off
by establishing the proper voltage from gate to cathode
as opposed to establishing gate current to the GTO.

SWITCH SELECTION
Selection of power device for an application is depends on
the required voltage, current levels & its switching
characteristics.
Transistors & GTOs provide control of both turn-on & turnoff , SCR provide turn on but not turn off & diodes are
neither.
MOSFET has the advantage in switching speed over BJT
since it is a majority carrier storage delay.
MOSFET has lower switching losses compared to BJT since
it has shorter switching time
The switching device selection depends on the required
operating point & turn on & turn off characteristics.

SWITCHES COMPARISON
2000

SWITCHES

Power diode

Thyristors
Power mosfet

IGBT
Power BJT

POWER SWITCH LOSSES

It is important to consider losses of power switches:
- To ensure that the system operates reliably under
prescribed ambient consition.
- Heat removal mechanism (eg. Heat sink, radiators, coolant)
can be specified.
- Losses in switches affects efficiency.
Heat sink & other heat removal are costly & bulky. It can be
substantial cost of the total system.
If a power switch is not cooled to its specified junction
temperature, the full power capability of the switch cannot
be realized. (derating of power switch ratings may be
necessary)

POWER SWITCH LOSSES

Forward
conduction losses

Blocking state
losses

Main losses occurs

in power switch

Switching
losses

HEAT SINKS

Fin type heat sink

SCR on the heat sink

FORWARD CONDUCTION LOSSES

No current can flow when the switch is off, and
when it is on, current can flow in the direction of the
arrow only.
Ideal switch has zero voltage drop across it during
turn on, Von. Although the forward current is large,
the losses at the switch is zero.
But for real switches such as BJT, IGBT, GTO, SCR
have forward conduction voltage which is
characterized by the RDS (on)

FORWARD CONDUCTION &

BLOCKING STATE LOSSES
Losses is measured by product of voltage drop across
the device, Von with the current, Ion, averaged over a
period.
Forward conduction losses is the major source of loss
at low frequency & DC operation.
During turn-off, the switch blocks large voltage. Ideally
no current should flow through the switch. But for real
switch, a small amount of leakage current may flow.
This creates turn-off/blocking state losses.
The leakage current during turn-off is normally small,
hence, the turn-off losses are usually neglected.

FORWARD CONDUCTION &

BLOCKING STATE LOSSES
The product of device voltage & current gives
instantaneous power dissipated in the device.
The heat energy that developed over the switching
period is the integration (summation) of instantaneous
power over time as shown by the shaded area under the
power curve.
The average power loss is the sum of the turn-on & turnoff energies multiplied with the switching frequency.
When the frequency increase, switching losses increase.
This limits the usable range of power switches unless
proper heat removal mechanism is employed.

SWITCHING LOSSES

off

on

During the turn-on, ideal

switch requires zero transition
time. Voltage & current are
switched instantaneously.
In real switch, due to nonidealities of power switches,
the switching profile is as
figure (b).
The switching losses occurs as
a result of both the voltage &
current changing
simultaneously during the
switching period.

SNUBBER CIRCUIT

SNUBBER CIRCUIT
From previous equation, the voltage across the switch is
bigger than the supply (for a short moment).
The spike may exceed the switch rated blocking voltage
and causes damage due to overvoltage.
To prevent such occurrence, a snubber is put across the
switch. An example of a snubber is an RCD circuit.
Snubber circuit smoothened the transition and make
the switch voltage rise more slowly. In effect it dampens
the high voltage spike to a safe value.
BJT switches and diodes requires snubbers. However, new
generation of IGBT,MOSFET and GCT do not require it.

RCD SNUBBER CIRCUIT

In general, snubbers are used for:

turn-on: to minimize large overcurrents through the device at
turn-on
turn-off: to minimize large overvoltages across the device during
turn-off.
Stress reduction: to shape the device switching waveform such
that the voltage and current associated with the device are not