Fully Controlled Power

Devices
Prof. K. Rama Naidu
Visiting Professor of ECE
IIITDM Kurnool - 518008
 Fully Controlled Power Devices
• Power BJT
• Power MOSFET
• IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)
• These Power devices are used only for switching
applications in Power Electronics.

05/25/2024 power devices 2

 Small Signal BJT vs Power
BJT
Parameter Small Signal BJT Power BJT
(2N2222A) (2N3055)
(max) V 40 60
(max) Amps 0.8 15
(max) W (at room 1.2 115
temperature)
β 40 - 100 5-20

05/25/2024 power devices 3

Structure of Power BJT

Due to lightly doped

Collector drift region,
The device can handle
Large Breakdown Voltages.

05/25/2024 power devices 4

Regions of operation in Power BJT

05/25/2024 power devices 5

Power BJT Output Characteristics

05/25/2024 power devices 6

 Power BJT Output Characteristics

05/25/2024 power devices 7

 Output Characteristics
• First, there is a maximum collector-emitter voltage that can be
sustained across the transistor when it is carrying substantial collector
current. This voltage is usually labeled B.
• In the limit of zero-base current, the maximum voltage between
collector and emitter that can be sustained to a value labeled the
collector- emitter breakdown voltage when the base is open. Often it
is used as the measure of the transistor’s voltage standoff capability
because usually the only time the transistor will see large voltages is
when the base current is zero and the BJT is in cutoff.
• – It is the collector to emitter voltage at which increases as shown
when emitter is open.
05/25/2024 power devices 8
Power BJT Output Characteristics

Avalanche Breakdown
Second Breakdown

05/25/2024 power devices 9

Types of Breakdown in Power BJT
• Avalanche Breakdown:
• When we increase beyond certain value , avalanche occurs i.e., free
electrons gain sufficient kinetic energy and tear-off (knock off) more and
more covalent bonds that leads to a very high current due to liberation of
large number of electrons from the covalent bonds.
• Second Breakdown:
• It appears on the output characteristics of the BJT as a precipitous drop in the
collector-emitter voltage at large collector currents. As the collector voltage
drops, there is often a significant increase in the collector current and a
substantial increase in the power dissipation.

05/25/2024 power devices 10

Second Breakdown
• Slight non-uniformities in the current density

• Local regions of increased heating

• Decreasing the resistance of the semiconductor material

Increased Increased
Temperature Current

05/25/2024 power devices 11

 Switching Characteristics of Power BJT

Delay time () – Time required to change from 0 – 10% of

max
() – Time required for changing from 10% – 90% of max
Storage time () – Collector current begins to decrease
once the stored charges are removed from to 90% of
Fall time () – Time required for falling from 0.9 to 0.1 .
Tail Time : time taken for collector current reaching zero
value from 10% of .
Conduction period is

05/25/2024 power devices 12

Waveforms used for a problem

05/25/2024 power devices 13

Power MOSFET
• Power MOSFET is a three-terminal device.
• It is a voltage-controlled device. Its input impedance is very high.
• Its operation depends on majority carriers only. Hence it is a
unipolar device.
• It is free from second breakdown.
• It is much faster than power BJT. Hence it is used in low voltage
high frequency applications.
• N-channel Enhancement type MOSFET is used as a switch.

05/25/2024 power devices 14

Structure of Power MOSFET

05/25/2024 power devices 15

Working Principle
• If is positive an induced voltage attracts the electrons from the p
substrate and accumulate at the surface of the SiO2 which is an
insulator.
• If (threshold voltage), sufficient no. of electrons are accumulated as a
layer between drain and source just below the oxide layer. This acts as
a bridge for the electrons to travel from source to drain terminals.
• Now, if we apply voltage between drain and source , then drain
current starts flowing from drain to source.

05/25/2024 power devices 16

05/25/2024 power devices 17
Body Diode in MOSFETs

05/25/2024 power devices 18

• The Transconductance which is an important parameter.
• when is constant
• Output Resistance when is constant
• Three regions of operation:
• Cut-off region:
• Pinch off or Saturation region:
• Triode or Ohmic region (linear region):

Conduction Loss:

05/25/2024 power devices 19

Transfer and Output Characteristics

05/25/2024 power devices 20

Switching Characteristics of Power
MOSFET

05/25/2024 power devices 21

Dynamic or Switching Characteristics of
MOSFET

05/25/2024 power devices 22

Conduction Losses in Power MOSFET

05/25/2024 power devices 23

Power Loss in Power MOSFETs

05/25/2024 power devices 24

05/25/2024 power devices 25
05/25/2024 power devices 26
05/25/2024 power devices 27
Typical Data sheet of Power MOSFET –
IRF540

05/25/2024 power devices 28

05/25/2024 power devices 29
05/25/2024 power devices 30
05/25/2024 power devices 31
05/25/2024 power devices 32
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)

The IGBT Transistor takes the best parts of these two types of common
transistors, the high input impedance and high switching speeds of a
MOSFET with the low saturation voltage of a bipolar transistor &
combines them together to produce another type of transistor switching
device that is capable of handling large collector-emitter currents with
virtually zero gate current drive.
05/25/2024 power devices 33
IGBT
• IGBT has a much lower “on-state” resistance, RON than an equivalent
MOSFET. This means that the I2R drop across the bipolar output
structure for a given switching current is much lower.
• The forward blocking operation of the IGBT transistor is identical to a
power MOSFET.
• When used as static controlled switch, the insulated gate bipolar
transistor has voltage and current ratings similar to that of the bipolar
transistor.
• However, the presence of an isolated gate in an IGBT makes it a lot
simpler to drive than the BJT as much less drive power is needed.
05/25/2024 power devices 34
05/25/2024 power devices 35
Inside the IGBT IC module

05/25/2024 power devices 36

IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)

05/25/2024 power devices 37

IGBT

05/25/2024 power devices 38

 • An insulated gate bipolar transistor is simply turned “ON” or “OFF”
by activating and deactivating its Gate terminal.

• Applying a positive input voltage signal across the Gate and the
Emitter will keep the device in its “ON” state, while making the input
gate signal zero or slightly negative will cause it to turn “OFF” in
much the same way as a bipolar transistor or MOSFET.

05/25/2024 power devices 39

Comparison
Device Power Power
Characteristic Bipolar MOSFET IGBT
Voltage Rating High <1kV High <1kV Very High >1kV
Current Rating High <500A Low <200A High >500A
Current, hFE Voltage, VGS Voltage, VGE
Input Drive
20-200 3-10V 4-8V
Input Impedance Low High High
Output Impedance Low Medium Low
Switching Speed Slow (μs) Fast (ns) Medium
Cost Low Medium High

05/25/2024 power devices 40