Switching Characterization of SmartSiC(TM) semiconductor Devices under Temperature

Inhalt:
This article deals with the use of SmartSiC(TM) devices in power converters. Benefits of these substrates on the on-state resistance of the devices have been addressed in the literature. However, the impact on the switching behavior of the devices is not widely studied. This paper compares the switching wave-forms of several diode structures made on both monocrystalline SiC substrates and SmartSiC(TM) substrates. It shows that their switching characteristics are equivalent. Combining the on-state resistance decrease and the unchanged switching characteristics, these results show the benefits of using power semiconductor devices based on SmartSiCTM substrates to decrease the global semiconductor losses in power converters.