Characterization of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Devices for Cryogenically-Cooled Power Electronics in Aircraft Applications

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices and cryogenic cooling are key enablers for highly-efficient ultra-dense power electronics converters, which are critical for future more electric aircraft applications. For the development and optimization of a cryogenically-cooled converter, an understanding of power semiconductor characteristics, especially for emerging WBG devices, is critical. This paper focuses on WBG device characterization at cryogenic temperatures. First, the testing setup for cryogenic temperature characterization is introduced. Then several WBG device candidates (e.g., 1200-V SiC MOSFETs and 650-V GaN HEMTs) are characterized from room to cryogenic temperatures. The test results are presented with trends summarized and analyzed, including on-state resistance, breakdown voltage, and switching performance.