The suitability and challenges of the new 2D-short circuit detection method for protecting a high performance IGBT with a low Vce, sat value

For every power semiconductor chip designer, there is a trade-off between reaching a low V_{ce, sat} value and a low desaturation current in order to produce more ruggedness against short circuit failures. If the width of the gate channel of an IGBT is increased, there is a hidden potential that can be used to increase the conduction performance significantly at the expense of an simultaneous higher desaturation current, which makes it impossible to use the desaturation process of the power semiconductor as a short circuit detection method. In order to benefit from the achievable lower V_{ce, sat} values without loosing any tolerance against short circuit failures, a fast short circuit detection method in combination with a fast turn-off reaction is needed. Therefore, this paper presents an innovative short circuit detection technique called 2D - short circuit detection method and discusses the detection performance, the challenges in turning-off a short circuit failure within the raising collector current and the suitability for a short circuit protection for high performance IGBTs with a low v_{ce, sat} value.