Title :
Challenges in SiC power MOSFET design
Author_Institution :
GE Global Res. Center, Niskayuna
Abstract :
SiC power MOSFETs are being developed to improve the efficiency and temperature capability of electronic power conversion systems. While SiC power MOSFETs share many similarities to silicon MOSFETs, many challenging differences remain. In particular, the wide-bandgap nature of 4H-SiC (E<sub>G</sub>=3.26 eV) is both a blessing and a curse, bringing a low intrinsic carrier concentration and a high critical electric field, while presenting challenges with inversion-layer mobility and reliability in passivating dielectric layers. This paper addresses several key issues relating to the design of 1000 Volt SiC power MOSFETs, including effects of the poor channel mobility, the high electric fields in dielectric layers, and the challenges of switching the SiC MOSFET.
Keywords :
carrier mobility; passivation; power MOSFET; semiconductor device models; semiconductor device reliability; silicon compounds; wide band gap semiconductors; SiC; channel mobility; electron volt energy 3.26 eV; electronic power conversion systems; high critical electric field; inversion-layer mobility; low intrinsic carrier concentration; passivating dielectric layers; silicon carbride power MOSFET design; voltage 1000 V; Capacitance; Doping; Electric breakdown; Electron traps; MOSFET circuits; Power MOSFET; Rough surfaces; Silicon carbide; Surface roughness; Temperature;
Conference_Titel :
Semiconductor Device Research Symposium, 2007 International
Conference_Location :
College Park, MD
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-1891-6
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-1892-3
DOI :
10.1109/ISDRS.2007.4422412
