Computer simulation and design optimization of IGBT's in soft-switching converters

The next generation of power semiconductor devices will be designed and optimized to meet the specific application requirements. Resonant dc link concept is gaining wide popularity in a range of soft-switching applications because of superior power conversion efficiency and improved overall system reliability. Mixed-mode simulations are used to study the carrier dynamics in non punchthrough IGBT structures during turn-off under soft- and hard-switching conditions. The simulation results are shown to qualitatively predict the measured bump in the tail current with varying output dv/dt conditions.