The Bimode Cross Switch (BXS) a full hybrid solution in switch- and diode-modes

In this paper, we present for the first time, the experimental results of a “Bimode Cross Switch (BXS)-Hybrid” built with 3.3kV Silicon Enhanced Trench Bi-mode IGBTs (Si-ET-BIGT) and Silicon Carbide MOSFETs (SiC-MOSFET). Also, we have compared the static (on-state) and dynamic (switching) characteristics of the 3.3kV BXS-Hybrid (1 × Si-ET-BIGT + 2 × SiC-MOSFET) with the full SiC-MOSFET (4 × SiC-MOSFET) and full Si-ET-BIGT (2 × Si-ET-BIGT) reference samples. In addition, we have investigated the MOS gate control (blanking time tbl) influence in diode-mode during reverse recovery of the BXS-Hybrid and compared the results to those of the full Si-ET-BIGT. The experimental results show that BXS-Hybrid offers 45% and 75% reduction in the turn-off losses (in switch-mode) compared to full Si-ET-BIGT at nominal current (125A) and half-nominal current, respectively for nearly the same on-state voltage drop (at nominal current) or even much lower (at half nominal current). Also, the results show that the BXS-Hybrid offers 46% and 49% reduction in the reverse recovery losses (in diode-mode) compared to full Si-ET-BIGT at nominal current and half-nominal current, respectively. Furthermore, the results show that the reverse recovery losses can be reduced as much as 55% with the BXS-Hybrid compared to that of the full Si-ET-BIGT if the MOS gate control technique is used (for the tbl of 2μs). In addition, the BXS-Hybrid eliminates or reduces the oscillations compared to full SiC-MOSFET solution. In this study, the MOS gates of the devices in the BXS-Hybrid were connected together and controlled by the same single gate unit (with one common gate resistor).