A circuit simulation model for high-power high-speed GaAs Schottky diodes

This paper proposes a physically-based behavioral circuit simulation model for high-power GaAs Schottky diodes which is valid over all regions of operation. No conditional statements are needed to define the regions of operation. A new and more accurate method of obtaining depletion capacitance model parameters from the measured capacitance values is proposed. A simple current and temperature dependent resistance model is used to model the nonlinear diode resistance as well as the contact and packaging resistance. The validity of the model is demonstrated under various DC and transient switching conditions. Simulation results are compared with experimental data obtained from 200 V GaAs Schottky diodes. The diode model is tested at various temperatures in different test circuits and the simulation results are shown to be in excellent agreement with the measured data under both hard- and soft-switching conditions. The model is implemented in SABER, an advanced behavioral circuit simulator, but it can easily be implemented in other circuit simulators which have user defined mathematical equations