5kV class 4H-SiC PiN diode with low voltage overshoot during forward recovery for high frequency inverter

Forward recovery characteristics have been reported in a 5 kV class SiC pin diode used for a high frequency inverter. The 5 kV class SiC pin diode obviously has low forward voltage overshoot and an extremely small voltage shift along with a higher forward current increase rate or junction temperature as compared to the Si fast diode. The minority carrier lifetime has also been evaluated from the forward recovery characteristics, and its dependence on temperature has been investigated. Next, the relation between the minority carrier lifetime and the forward voltage drop were investigated. Even at a higher junction temperature, it was confirmed that the calculated relations between the drift region thickness and the ambipolar diffusion length approximated the best values to maintain low forward voltage drop.