Robustness of SiC and GaN Diodes under Extreme dV/dt Stress up to 980 V/ns
Abstract
The robustness of wide-bandgap power devices under extreme dV/dt stress is critical for identifying the device dynamic safe-operating-area, particularly for ultrafast pulse power applications. This paper characterizes a high dV/dt ruggedness of 650 V SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and GaN field-effect rectifiers using a custom-built test circuit. The setup enables reverse blocking voltages up to the kilovolt range under controlled voltage slew rates up to 980 V/ns, allowing for transient voltage analysis and device failure understanding under extreme switching conditions. SiC SBDs exhibit a consistent avalanche capability, showing voltage clamping near the avalanche breakdown voltage (BV) even at 800 V/ns. However, at ultrahigh dV/dt, a degradation in blocking voltage is observed. AlGaN/GaN field-effect rectifiers demonstrate high static BV (>1000 V) but lack avalanche capability. They withstand high dV/dt …
Zineng Yang
M.Sc. RWTH Aachen University
B.Eng. (Hons) University of Nottingham Ningbo/University of Nottingham
Hongchang Cui
M.S. Xi'an Jiaotong University
B.S. China University of Mining and Technology
Xin Yang
M.S. Xi'an Jiaotong University
B.S. Chongqing University
