Extending the boundary limits of high voltage IGBTs and diodes to above 8 kV

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time, a planar high voltage IGBT and freewheeling diode chip set with a blocking capability exceeding 8000 V. The main aim is to show that a high performance IGBT can be achieved at this voltage level by implementing the "soft-punch-through" (SPT) concept. Details of the IGBT and diode design and performance are presented. This includes, experimental results for the static and dynamic characteristics under normal and SOA conditions, detailed trade-off curves for a number of design parameters, and cosmic ray induced failure results for the IGBT and diode.