Unlocking SiC MOSFET Switching Performance Through Packaging and Instrumentation
type: CreativeWork
description: Electrical energy conversion is vital to the distribution and use of electricity. With the increased use of renewable energy sources and the move to cleaner electrified transport methods, the demands of power electronic converters and inverters continue to increase. A major component in any power electronics converter or inverter is the transistor. Advances in wide-bandgap semiconductors such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) are leading to improved transistor technologies. These materials allow for smaller transistors with reduced on state resistances and input capacitances, this reduces losses and supports higher switching frequencies. In contrast, packaging and measurement technologies have not significantly evolved to support these emerging high-speed devices. Traditional wire-bonding packaging technologies that were originally developed in the 1950's are still being used today, with the majority of power modules on the market using bond-wires for transistor connections. Wire-bonding introduces significant stray inductances into the transistor connections. When combined with high-speed switching, such inductance can cause device damaging voltage overshoots, unwanted resonances and parasitic turn-on of the transistor. Due to such effects, the switching speed of the semiconductor device has to be restricted in order to ensure reliability and prevent damage. This negates many of the advantages that wide-bandgap devices can offer. Existing switching measurement technologies are also unable to support the high speed potential of wide-bandgap semiconductor devices. Currently available systems either lack bandwidth, have significant bandwidth distortion or introduce a large stray inductance into the circuit under test. Insufficient bandwidth can slew the measured rise-time of the switching edge leading to incorrect switching loss measurement and can attenuate high-frequency resonances reducing their apparent severity. A distorted bandwidth can signific…
abstract: Electrical energy conversion is vital to the distribution and use of electricity. With the increased use of renewable energy sources and the move to cleaner electrified transport methods, the demands of power electronic converters and inverters continue to increase. A major component in any power electronics converter or inverter is the transistor. Advances in wide-bandgap semiconductors such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) are leading to improved transistor technologies. These materials allow for smaller transistors with reduced on state resistances and input capacitances, this reduces losses and supports higher switching frequencies. In contrast, packaging and measurement technologies have not significantly evolved to support these emerging high-speed devices. Traditional wire-bonding packaging technologies that were originally developed in the 1950's are still being used today, with the majority of power modules on the market using bond-wires for transistor connections. Wire-bonding introduces significant stray inductances into the transistor connections. When combined with high-speed switching, such inductance can cause device damaging voltage overshoots, unwanted resonances and parasitic turn-on of the transistor. Due to such effects, the switching speed of the semiconductor device has to be restricted in order to ensure reliability and prevent damage. This negates many of the advantages that wide-bandgap devices can offer. Existing switching measurement technologies are also unable to support the high speed potential of wide-bandgap semiconductor devices. Currently available systems either lack bandwidth, have significant bandwidth distortion or introduce a large stray inductance into the circuit under test. Insufficient bandwidth can slew the measured rise-time of the switching edge leading to incorrect switching loss measurement and can attenuate high-frequency resonances reducing their apparent severity. A distorted bandwidth can signific…
author: Shillaber, Luke
language: eng
keywords: Wide bandgap, Switching, Transistor, Current measurement, high bandwidth, Semiconductor, packaging, semiconductor packaging, gigahertz bandwidth, low inductance, mutual inductance cancellation, double pulse test, DPT, passive probe, oscilloscope probe, high speed switching, high-speed switching, SiC, silicon carbide, GaN, soldering, thermo-mechanical stress, comsol, ansys, finite element analysis, skin effect
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/4656c3a4-d323-4c81-853e-8f2e5d018cf7/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2024-01-13
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:31Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.111663