4.2.3.

Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

Base Emitter • Interdigitated base and

emitter contacts
• Vertical current flow

n n n • npn device is shown

p
• minority carrier device

n- • on-state: base-emitter
and collector-base
junctions are both
n forward-biased
• on-state: substantial
minority charge in p and
n- regions, conductivity
Collector modulation

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 56 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 BJT switching times
vs(t) Vs2

–Vs1

VCC vBE(t)

0.7V

RL
–Vs1
iC(t)
+ iB(t)
iB(t) RB IB1
vCE(t)
+ 0

vBE(t) –
–IB2
vs(t) + –
– vCE(t)

VCC

IConRon

iC(t)
ICon

0
t
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 57 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Ideal base current waveform

iB(t) IB1

IBon
0
t

–IB2

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 58 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Current crowding due to excessive IB2

Base Emitter
–IB2

– n – can lead to
p – – + + – –
p
formation of hot
n- spots and device
failure

Collector

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 59 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 BJT characteristics

• Off state: IB = 0
IC n V CE = 200V
e regio • On state: IB > IC /β
v V = 20V
10A acti CE
ation
a s i - satur V CE = 5V • Current gain β decreases
q u
rapidly at high current. Device
should not be operated at
slope saturation region
=β instantaneous currents
5A VCE = 0.5V
exceeding the rated value

cutoff VCE = 0.2V

0A
0V 5V 10V 15V
IB

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 60 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Darlington-connected BJT

• Increased current gain, for high-voltage

Q1 applications
• In a monolithic Darlington device,
Q2 transistors Q1 and Q2 are integrated on the
same silicon wafer
• Diode D1 speeds up the turn-off process,
D1 by allowing the base driver to actively
remove the stored charge of both Q1 and
Q2 during the turn-off transition

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 62 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Conclusions: BJT

G BJT has been replaced by MOSFET in low-voltage (<500V)

applications
G BJT is being replaced by IGBT in applications at voltages above
500V
G A minority-carrier device: compared with MOSFET, the BJT
exhibits slower switching, but lower on-resistance at high
voltages

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 63 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 4.2.4. The Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)

Emitter • A four-layer device

Gate • Similar in construction to

MOSFET, except extra p
region
n n n n • On-state: minority carriers
p p
are injected into n- region,
leading to conductivity
minority carrier
injection modulation
n-
• compared with MOSFET:
p slower switching times,
lower on-resistance, useful
at higher voltages (up to
Collector 1700V)

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 64 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 The IGBT

collector
Symbol

gate
Location of equivalent devices

emitter

C
Equivalent n p n n n
p
circuit
i2 i1

n-
G
p
i1 i2

E
Fundamentals of Power Electronics 65 Chapter 4: Switch realization
 Current tailing in IGBTs

IGBT
waveforms
Vg
vA(t)
iL
iA(t)
C curr
ent t
ail

}
0 0
t
iL
diode
waveforms

iB(t)
0 0
t
G vB(t)

–Vg
i1 i2

pA(t) Vg iL
= vA iA
E
area Woff

t
t0 t1 t2 t3

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 66 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Switching loss due to current-tailing in IGBT

IGBT
waveforms
iA vA iL(t) L Vg
+ – vA(t)
iL
physical iA(t)
IGBT – curr
ent t
Vg + vB ideal ail
–

}
diode
+
–

0 0
gate +
DTs Ts driver iB t
iL
diode
waveforms

Example: buck converter with IGBT 0

iB(t)
0
t
vB(t)
transistor turn-off
transition –Vg

pA(t) Vg iL
= vA iA
Psw = 1 pA(t) dt = (W on + W off ) fs
Ts
switching
transitions area Woff

t
t0 t1 t2 t3

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 67 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Characteristics of several commercial devices

Part number Rated max voltage Rated avg current V F (typical) tf (typical)

S i ng l e-chi p dev i ces

HGTG32N60E2 600V 32A 2.4V 0.62µs
HGTG30N120D2 1200V 30A 3.2A 0.58µs
M ul t i p l e-chi p p o w er m o dul es
CM400HA-12E 600V 400A 2.7V 0.3µs
CM300HA-24E 1200V 300A 2.7V 0.3µs

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 68 Chapter 4: Switch realization

 Conclusions: IGBT

G Becoming the device of choice in 500 to 1700V+ applications, at

power levels of 1-1000kW
G Positive temperature coefficient at high current —easy to parallel
and construct modules
G Forward voltage drop: diode in series with on-resistance. 2-4V
typical
G Easy to drive —similar to MOSFET
G Slower than MOSFET, but faster than Darlington, GTO, SCR
G Typical switching frequencies: 3-30kHz
G IGBT technology is rapidly advancing:
G 3300 V devices: HVIGBTs
G 150 kHz switching frequencies in 600 V devices

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 69 Chapter 4: Switch realization