T11 The Design and Application of Fast Recovery Diodes in IGBT Circuits

Munaf Rahimo and Josef Lutz

Full day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Location: University of Leoben
including sightseeing: Egypt-exhibition or Mining museum (Erzberg)

The performance of IGBTs is often restricted by the freewheeling diode reverse recovery characteristics. Many design features are required for the diode in order to reduce the overall losses of the circuit and to prevent any failure mechanisms that might occur during the switching transients. In the past decade, many novel design techniques have been reported and implemented on an industrial scale, providing diodes with optimum trade-offs and hence improved characteristics.

The tutorial will begin with an overview of the evolution of fast power diodes while addressing the basic requirements in modern IGBT circuits. Emphasis will be placed on diode failure mechanisms and means of prevention. Conventional and novel design techniques will be presented outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. Finally, future design prospects will be discussed. A set of notes will be provided.

Contents

1. Design of blocking voltage and rated current Munaf Rahimo
2. Dynamic requirements and definitions

Turn on behaviour

Reverse recovery behaviour

Dynamic ruggedness and dynamic avalanche

Josef Lutz
3. Charge dynamics during reverse recovery Josef Lutz
4. Modern concepts for soft recovery diodes  

4.1 Drift region control concept

Munaf Rahimo

4.2 Emitter control concept

Munaf Rahimo

4.3 Axial profiles with Au and Pt

Munaf Rahimo

4.4 Axial profiles with radiation induced centers

Characteristics of Radiation induced centers

Center profiles and diode characteristics

Josef Lutz

4.5 Hybrid diode concept

Josef Lutz
5. New future materials Munaf Rahimo

Who should attend?

Beginners in design fast recovery rectifiers, Specialists who want to complete their knowledge, Designers of circuits for which the behaviour of the fast diode is important.

Brief Curriculum

Munaf Rahimo received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1990 and 1993, respectively. He then completed his Ph.D. at Staffordshire University – UK in 1996 with the thesis entitled "Switching Characteristics of Fast Power Diodes in IGBT Circuits". He was with the Power Development Group at GEC Plessey Semiconductors, UK (at present Dynex Semiconductors), where he was mainly responsible for the design and development of a whole range of fast recovery diodes for IGBT and GTO applications. In 1998, he joined Semelab plc - UK as a Senior R&D Engineer working mainly on designing a new range of ultrafast power diodes using triple charge control action utilizing low emitter efficiency anode, deep diffused silicon, and local lifetime control techniques. He is currently with ABB Semiconductors AG, Lenzburg, Switzerland as an R&D IGBT Project Manager. He is a member of the IEEE, IoP, a Charted Physicist and a Charted Engineer. He has published over 30 conference and journal papers.

Josef Lutz, Dipl Phys. Prof. Dr. ing, joined in 1983 Semikron Electronics, Nuremberg, Germany. First he worked in the development of GTO Thyristors. In 1987 he became responsible for the development of fast recovery diodes. He is a specialist in recombination centers, esp. the implantation of light ions (H+, He++) for lifetime control. He introduced the Controlled Axial Lifetime (CAL) diode, is holder of several patents regarding fast diodes, and has published 35 papers and conference contributions. In 1999 he received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of Ilmenau, Germany, for his thesis "Freewheeling diodes for fast switching power devices". In August 2001 he starts as Professor for Power Electronics and Electromagnetic Compatibility at the Technical University of Chemnitz, Germany. He is member of the International Steering Committee of the EPE and of the advisory board of the PCIM.
 


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