Commutation Characteristics During Switching of Hybrid SiC and Si Configurations

Abstract:
This paper presents the switching characteristics for hybrid configurations of Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Silicon (Si) switching devices. The measurements obtained in the lab illustrate the commutation process during switching events for the examined setups. This work shows the effect of higher displacement currents on switching attributes due to higher blocking capacitance and shorter switching times of SiC elements. Additionally, this paper studies the current commutation between a unipolar SiC-Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) and the bipolar body diode of a SiC-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) during switching. Further, this work extends on the hybrid parallel configuration of a Si-Insulate-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a SiC-MOSFET with an antiparallel SiC-SBD.