Enhanced current gain in SiC power BJTs using surface accumulation layer transistor (SALTran) concept

SiC bipolar transistors often suffer from poor current gain due to low carrier lifetimes. In this paper, we demonstrate that the current gain of SiC power bipolar transistors can be improved by as large as 100 % by using a novel surface accumulation layer transistor (SALTran) concept in which a reflecting boundary in the emitter reduces the base current. The reasons for the improved current gain are explained based on simulation results.