Switching ruggedness of high-power diodes

The ruggedness of high-power diodes is an important quality feature in fast-switching processes from the conducting to the blocking state. In this paper, diodes with three different types of junction terminations are analyzed in detail by numerical simulations. Furthermore, the influence of positive charges in the dielectric layer covering the junction termination, and the local reduction of the charge carrier lifetime on diode ruggedness is investigated.