A SiC JFET driver for a 5 kW, 150 kHz three-phase PWM converter

S. Round, M. Heldwein, J. Kolar, I. Hofsajer, P. Friedrichs

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

126 Scopus citations

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices are capable of being operated at higher voltages, frequencies and temperatures than silicon power devices. These SiC device capabilities will provide the power electronics designer with new possibilities to produce compact designs. Presently the JFET is the only controlled turn off/on SiC device that is close to commercialization and available as restricted samples. However the JFET is a normally-on device that requires a negative gate voltage to turn off. In order to correctly design a gate driver one must understand the characteristics of the JFET. This paper presents a description of the JFET semiconductor structure, and the SiC JFET's static and dynamic characteristics from room temperature to 200°C. A SiC JFET gate driver circuit is presented and its performance described. The proposed gate driver improves the switching performance of the JFET by operating the gate in avalanche during the off time.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationConference Record of the 2005 IEEE Industry Applications Conference, 40th IAS Annual Meeting
Pages410-416
Number of pages7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes
Event2005 IEEE Industry Applications Conference, 40th IAS Annual Meeting - Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Duration: 2 Oct 20056 Oct 2005

Publication series

NameConference Record - IAS Annual Meeting (IEEE Industry Applications Society)
Volume1
ISSN (Print)0197-2618

Conference

Conference2005 IEEE Industry Applications Conference, 40th IAS Annual Meeting
Country/TerritoryChina
CityKowloon, Hong Kong
Period2/10/056/10/05

Keywords

  • Dynamic characteristic
  • Gate driver
  • High-temperature operation
  • JFET
  • Silicon carbide
  • Static characteristic

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A SiC JFET driver for a 5 kW, 150 kHz three-phase PWM converter'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this