Gate leakage-current, damaged gate and open-circuit failure-mode of recent SiC Power Mosfet : Overview and analysis of unique properties for converter protection and possible future safety management

The silicon carbide MOSFETs tend to become the standard for high-performance medium voltage power electronics in terms of compactness and efficiency. Although the weakness of its gate-oxide and the relatively low short-circuit time capability are known limitations, this device reveals interesting unique properties. In this paper the authors explore the gate leakage-current behavior in normal and pre-damage operations as well as the conditions for obtaining an atypical and very interesting fail-to-open mode which has never been observed with silicon dies. These properties may be used for dedicated and innovative protection techniques for safer converter.