Switching characteristics of modern 6.5kV IGBT/Diode

New IGBT generations, i.e. Trench-Field-Stop devices, show significant differences regarding their control characteristics in comparison to power MOSFETs [1]. The reason for that is the stored charge effect. For a better understanding of the switching behavior of modern IGBTs, a detailed characterization upon the variation of the decisive switching parameters is needed. The detailed characterization, with focus on the stored charge effects, is continued with state of the art 6.5kV IGBT and diode in a special setup [2]. Further, the forward recovery effect of the diodes is discussed and the influence of the dI/dt and temperature is presented. This effect results in a high blocking-voltage in reverse direction across the IGBT parallel to the freewheeling diode. Additionally the charge, which is stored in conduction mode and has to be extracted during the turn-off, is calculated for two modern 6.5kV IGBT types at different collector-currents and conduction times.