3-D Scaling Rules for High-Voltage Planar Clustered IGBTs

In this article, an approach for design optimization of high-voltage (≥3300 V) planar clustered insulated gate bipolar transistor (CIGBT) is proposed and investigated through TCAD simulations. New 3-D scaling rules are employed in this approach to improve the electrical characteristics and widen the safe operating area. As shown in the simulation results, a scaled 4.5-kV field-stop CIGBT can achieve an ON-state voltage drop of 1.78 V at T
_j
= 300 K and J
_c
= 50 A/cm
²
, mainly due to the enhancement of inherent thyristor action. High levels of turn-off robustness are maintained by the scaled CIGBTs. In addition, the scaling rules also result in improved short-circuit robustness due to control of current saturation levels. Furthermore, by integrating the 3-D scaling rules with the trench CIGBTs, the ON-state performance shows significant improvement compared with the state-of-the-art IGBT technologies. Therefore, scaling rules on CIGBTs is a highly promising approach for enhancing the converter efficiency in medium- and high-voltage applications.