Switching Simulation of Si-GTO, SiC-GTO and Power MOSFET

Recent development in power electronics has made power semiconductor devices larger and more complicated, and device simulation is necessary to predict their characteristics. From the fundamental equations of semiconductor devices, potential distribution and carrier concentrations can be solved using the finite element method (FEM), silicon carbide (SiC) material has been utilized for power devices, in order to achieve fast switching time and low switching loss. In this study, we use our FEM device simulator and compare the switching waveforms of usual silicon gate turn off thyristor (Si-GTO) and new SiC-GTO. Results show that turn off time of SiC-GTO is decreased extremely. The merits of devices simulation are not only to predict switching characteristics but also to observe inner phenomena of semiconductor device. In this study, we also analyzed switching characteristics of power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) and make discussions on the inner phenomena of this device.