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Semester 1
Power Supply
Lecturer: Javier Sebastin
Systems
Outline
2
Electrical Energy Universidad
Conversion and de Oviedo
Power Systems
3
Outline
4
Introduction (I).
5
Introduction (II).
7
Review of the basics of BJTs (I).
P
+ N
- P
Emitter Base Collector
1m
The emitter region must be much more doped than the base region.
WB = 1 m << Lp = 10 m
9
Review of the basics of BJTs (III).
Operation in active region: E-B junction is forward biased and
B-C junction is reverse biased.
The concentration of minority carries when the junctions have
been biased can be easily deduced form slide #80, Lesson 1.
V1 V2
E B C
P+ -+ N- +- P
High gradient High
High gradient High
current due to holes in
WB current due to holes in
the E-B junction the B-C junction
pB1
nE nC
0
VEB1 < VEB2 < VEB3
Currents Base contact
Linear
pB (active) scale -iC
iE
nE (active) V1 V2
nE (cut-off) pB (cut-off) nC Active region
0
Currents Base contact
iE -iC
IE (active) -IC (active) V1 V2
Cut-off region
IE (cut-off) -IC (cut-off)
0 12
Review of the basics of BJTs (VI).
Operation in saturation region: E-B and B-C junctions forward biased.
Minority carrier concentration
pB (saturation) Linear iE -iC
scale V1 V2
nC (sat.)
Active region
nE nC (active)
pB (active)
0
Currents Base contact iE -iC
V1 V2
iE (saturation)
-iC (saturation)
Saturation region
However, the operation in
iE (active) -iC (active) saturation usually takes place in
other type of circuits.
0 13
Review of the basics of BJTs (VII).
Usual circuit to study the saturation region.
We are going to increase the
Minority carrier concentration value of V1.
iE (saturation)
-iC (saturation) R
vCB +
iE (boundary) V2/R
-iC (boundary) -
-iB V2
iE (active) -iC (active) V1
0 iE 14
Review of the basics of BJTs (VIII). Very important!!!
We can increase the height of point pB1 as much as we want, because we can
increase V1 indefinitely.
However, the collector current ( emitter current) is limited to the maximum
possible value of V2/R (otherwise, the transistor would behave as a power
generator, which means that energy is generated from nothing).
As the current passing through the transistor (from emitter to collector) is limited,
then the slope of pB is also limited.
As a consequence, pB2 must also increase to maintain the current constant, which
implies that the base-collector junction becomes forward bias.
0 -2 -4 -6
Active
Cut-off
16
Review of the basics of BJTs (X).
-iC
iC
R R
+ 0.5 V -N
0.5 V P
- +
- +
-iB 0.2 V iB 0.2 V
N P
P
+ -
N
17
Review of the basics of BJTs (XI).
P+ N-
pB (sat.) P These excess carriers
(holes in this case)
must be eliminated to
turn-off the transistor
nE pB Cut-off nC
0
Transistor in cut-off
18
Review of the basics of BJTs (XII).
A good trade-off between switching speed and voltage drop in on-state can
be reached using anti-saturation circuitry (circuits to maintain the transistor
just in the boundary between active region and saturation).
-iC
Hard-saturation circuits
(the voltage across the transistor terminals is the same).
0.7 V R R
P +
N V2
0.2 V 0.7 V
-iB - P +
P - P + -iB
0.5V + N 0.2 V
N 0.2 V
R -iB - P - V2
P - V2
0.5V + 0.5V
20
Review of the basics of BJTs (XIV).
Soft-saturation circuit
(anti-saturation circuit).
R
0.7 V +
R -iB -
P +
N 0.7 V
P -
0.7 V + S1
P +
-iB - V2
N 0.7 V
P - V2 In soft-saturation (boundary),
when S1 closed.
In cut-off, when S1 open.
21
Review of the basics of BJTs (XV).
SiO2
B E Drift region
N+ P
P+ N- N+
N-
Structure needed to have conductivity
modulation
N+ (from slide #100, Lesson 1)
C
22
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (I).
The IGBT (the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) is based on a structure that
allows:
Conductivity modulation (good behaviour for high voltage devices when
they are in on-state).
Anti-saturation (not so slow switching process as in the case of complete
saturation).
And control from an insulated gate (as in the case of a MOSFET).
R R
P P
N N
D
P P
V2
S1 V2
G
S
23
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (II).
Collector
Collector (C)
P E
N
D B Gate (G)
P
C
G Emitter (E)
S
Gate
Schematic symbol for a N-channel IGBT.
Emitter
Simplified equivalent
circuit for an IGBT.
Emitter Gate
Collector
Collector (C)
N+ N+
N- P
N+
P+
Collector
25
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (IV).
Internal structure (II).
Emitter Emitter
Gate Gate
Gate
Emitter
Rdrift
N+ N+
Collector
P
Simplest model Rdrift N-
for an IGBT. N+
P+ Collector
26
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (V).
The IGBT blocking (withstanding) voltage.
Depletion Emitter
region Gate
Gate
Emitter V2
N+ N+ V2
Rdrift
P
N- R
N+
R
P+
Collector
Collector
27
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (VI).
The IGBT conducting current (a first approach).
Conductivity
modulation
Transistor Emitter
V1
effect
Gate
V1 Gate
Emitter V2
N+ N+ V2
Rdrift
P
Rdrift N- R
N+
R
P+
Collector
Collector
28
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (VII).
Emitter Emitter
Gate
Gate
N+
Rbody
Rbody
P
Rdrift
N-
Rdrift
N+
P+
Collector Collector
Model taking into account the
parasitic NPN transistor.
The final result is that there
is a parasitic thyristor. 30
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (IX).
Emitter
Gate
N+ Rbody
N+ E1
N+ E1
B1
P P B1 P
P C2
C2
N- C1
N C1 N
N B2 B2
N+
E2
P+ P+ P+ E2
Collector
31
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (X).
The basics of the thyristor: the PNPN structure (II).
N+ Forward
E1 N+ - bias
P + VDC
B1
C1 C2 Reverse - P
B2
N +bias
R
N
P+
E2 -
Forward P+
bias +
There are two junctions forward biased and one is reverse biased.
As a consequence, the PNPN device can block (withstand) voltage
without conducting current.
However, it will be able to conduct current as well,
as it is going to be shown in the next slide. 32
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XI).
The basics of the thyristor: the PNPN structure (III).
Forward
- Forward
bias VDC
- bias
VB
N+ + N+ P
-
+ VDC
N
P
Reverse -P N +
+ +-
+bias
N
R
- -+ P
R
-
Forward
Forward N
- iR
P+ P+
bias + bias!! Forward
bias +
If VB is high enough (0.6-0.7 V in a silicon device), then the NPN transistor
becomes saturated.
As a consequence, the base-collector junctions corresponding to both the NPN
and the PNP transistor become forward biased. Both transistors are saturated.
Therefore, all the junctions are forward biased right now and the voltage across
the device is quite low (e.g., 0.9-1.2 V). The current passing through R can be
33
quite high (approximately VDC/R).
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XII).
The basics of the thyristor: the PNPN structure (IV).
VB VB
N+
- iB_1
iB N+
- iB_1=iC_2
Q1
P + VDC
Q1
P + VDC
+ +
N -i + iC_2 N -i +
C_1=iB_2 P
C_1=iB_2 P
-N Q2 R -N Q2 R
- P+
iR - iR
P+
+ +
Initially, the current needed for transistor Q1 to start conducting (active
region) comes from the voltage source VB.
When iC_1 increases, iC_2 strongly increases because iC_2 = b2iB_2 = b2iC_1.
Therefore, current iB_1 will increase a lot due to the iC_2 component and the
transistors become saturated very fast.
As iC_2 is the main current needed to maintain both transistors saturated, the
34
situation does not change if we remove VB.
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XIII).
The basics of the thyristor: the PNPN structure (V).
A PNPN structure has two different stable states (so, it works as a flip-flop):
N+
- Forward
bias N+
- iB_1=iC_2
P +
VDC VDC
Q1
P + Q1
-Reverse +
N
- Forward
N
+ bias - P bias
+ P
+ Q2 R -N Q2 R
Forward
-
N
iC_1=iB_2 -
P+
P+
bias + iR = 0
+
iR VDC/R
The device state at a specific moment depends on whether Q1 emitter-base
junction has been forward biased previously.
The only way to turn-off the device is by decreasing IR up to zero. 35
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XIV).
The IGBT conducting current (actual paths).
Emitter
N+
Gate
- -
Channel Rbody N+ R N+
body
P
Rbody
N-
+ P
+ P
N
Q1
N P
N+ Q2 N
P+ P+ P+
Collector
BJT current BJT current
BJT current MOSFET current
The voltage across Rbody must not be high enough to turn-on the PNPN
structure, which is called latch-up.
Else, the total device cannot be turned-off by the gate voltage any more. 36
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XV).
To avoid the IGBT latch-up, Rbody must be as low as possible.
Emitter Emitter
Gate Gate
N+ N+
Channel
Rbody P P+ P
Channel
N- N-
N+ N+
P+ P+
Collector Collector
The IGBT cannot conduct reverse current when vGE = 0 (it is not as the MOSFET).
C
C
P
P
D N
N
Parasitic
diode P
G P
G
G
S External
diode
E
E
Reverse current
Reverse current Reverse current
This means that it is able to block reverse voltage.
Symmetrical IGBTs are especially designed for blocking reverse voltage.
However, they have worse forward voltage drop than asymmetrical (standard)
IGBTs.
38
To conduct reverse current when vGE = 0, an external diode must be added.
Principle of operation and structure of the IGBT (XVII).
Asymmetrical versus symmetrical IGBT structures.
Emitter
Emitter
Gate
Gate
N+ N+
P+ P P
P+
N-
N-
N+
P+ P+
Collector
Collector
41
General characteristics of the IGBTs (II).
General information regarding the IRG4PC50W.
42
Static characteristics of the IGBTs (I).
43
Static characteristics of the IGBTs (II).
IC_max @ T = 50 oC: 55 A
IC_max @ T = 75 oC: 48 A
44
Static characteristics of the IGBTs (III).
Asymmetrical IGBT
45
Static characteristics of the IGBTs (IV).
Static output characteristic curve for a given vGE voltage.
iC [A]
6 vGE = 15V
0 vCE [V]
2 4
vEB_BJT
As in slide #40 of this lesson.
vEB_BJT 1V
46
Static characteristics of the IGBTs (V).
Thermal behaviour
like a MOSFET
Thermal behaviour
like a BJT
47
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (I).
Turn-off in a IGBT with inductive load and ideal diode
vGE (see slide #32, lesson 4).
C
vGE(th)
G
iC
E
MOSFET-part turn-off
IL
BJT-part turn-off
iC
IGBT tail
A RG VDC
C
vCE VG +
G
B + vCE
VG vGE E
-
-
48
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (II).
Comparing IGBT and MOSFET Turn-off.
vGE IGBT turn-off
C MOSFET turn-off
vGE(th) D
G
G
S
vGS
iC E vDS(TO)
MOSFET-part turn-off iD
BJT-part turn-off
IGBT tail
vCE Period with vDS
switching losses
Switching losses
49
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (III).
Turn-on in a IGBT with inductive load and ideal diode
(see slides #32-39, lesson 4, for comparison).
vGE
C
vGE(th)
iC E
Period with IL
switching losses
iC
A RG VDC
C
VG G
+
vCE B + vCE
MOSFET-part turn-on VG vGE E
-
-
BJT-part turn-on
50
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (IV).
Actual turn-on and turn-off waveforms with inductive load, taking into account
the diode real behaviour (recovery times) and the stray (parasitic) inductances.
51
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (V).
52
Dynamic characteristics of the IGBTs (VI).
Parasitic capacitances and gate charge.
53
Losses in IGBTs.
54