Failure mechanisms of Trench IGBT under various short-circuit conditions

Four short circuit electrical configurations leading to the Trench IGBT failures are studied in detail by the help a two dimensional physically-based device simulator. By analyzing different internal physical parameters, it was highlighted that the failure occurring during the turn-on is due to a high impact ionization generation rate, whereas the failures occurring during on- state, at the turn-off and the one occurring some microseconds after turn-off are due to a thermal runaway phenomenon.