Implications of Short-Circuit Degradation on the Aging Process in Accelerated Cycling Tests of SiC MOSFETs

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of repetitive short circuit events on the remaining useful lifetime of 1.0-kV/22-A SiC MOSFETs. Mixed accelerated power cycling tests, together with the different number of short-circuit repetitions, have been performed to provide a concrete estimation of short-circuit impact. The experimental results of short circuit waveforms show an increasing gate leakage current with the increasing number of repetitions. Due to the higher on-state voltage, induced by short circuit degradation, the devices withstand higher temperature swing during power cycling test compared to their initial condition, which accelerates the aging process and is related to the number of repetitive short circuits.