New Electronic Devices for Power Converters

Abstract

Power electronic devices are crucial components of power converter systems. The evolution of power devices drives the development of power converters, including improvements in performance, reliability, and power capacity. In this chapter, the author expounds the structure, working principle, and static and dynamic characteristics of the conventional PN junction diode. And the silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diode (SBD), junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diode, trench JBS (T-JBS) diode, and sidewall-enhanced trench JBS (SET-JBS) diode are also discussed and compared. Also, the structures and properties of the gallium oxide (Ga2O3) SBD and heterojunction diode are also summarized. Next, the author gives a detailed analysis and discussion of the silicon power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), superjunction MOSFET, and the SiC MOSFET and JFET, and the Ga2O3 MOSFET. Then, the device structure and operating principle, switching characteristics, and current tailing mechanism of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) are also analyzed and summarized in detail. Finally, the energy band structure, working principle, and switching characteristic of the gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT), one of the hot devices in the current market, are also described. Finally, the summary and prospect of power electronic devices are also presented in this chapter.