EMT 369

CHAPTER 2

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
µsec

 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 µs : 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 µs

- 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 µs
- 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 +VCC +VCC +VCC

RC IC = 0 RC RC IC(sat) RC IC(sat)

RB C RB C
+
0V +VBB
IB = 0 E IB – E

In cutoff, the transistor looks In saturation, the transistor

like an open switch. 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 i D.
Thus, the MOSFET can be modelled as an on-state resistance R DC(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 the anode current.
• The SCR will continue toTHYRISTOR
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 & turn-off , 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 Blocking state

losses 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 & turn-off 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
• During the turn-on, ideal switch
requires zero transition time. Voltage
off on
& current are switched
instantaneously.
• In real switch, due to non-idealities 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 high simultaneously.
 ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Differentiate the symbols of the power switches below & discuss
the working operations.
Power diode
Thyristor – SCR
Thyristor – GTO
Thyristor – MCT
Transistor – BJT
Transistor – MOSFET
Transistor - IGBT
 ASSIGNMENT 1
The current source in figure below is reversed so that positive current
is upward. The current source is to be connected to the voltage source
by alternately closing S1 and S2. Draw a circuit that has MOSFET and
Diode to accomplished this switching.