Structural Simulation of a 4H-Sic Based Optically Controlled Thyristor Using a GaAs Based Optically Triggered Power Transistor and Its Application to DC-DC Boost Converter

In the present simulation work, an attempt is made to study the switching dynamics of an optically controlled 4HSiC thyristor power semiconductor device with the use of GaAs optically triggered power transistor. The half-cell thyristor has the forward breakdown of 200 V and reverse breakdown of more than 1000 V. The optically controlled thyristor has a rise time of 0.14 μs and fall time of 0.065 μs. The turn-on and turn-off delays are 0.1 μs and 0.06 μs, respectively. In addition, this optically controlled thyristor is used as a control switch for the DC-DC Boost converter. The pn-diode used for the converter has the forward drop of 2.8 V and reverse breakdown of around 400 V.

• Srikanta Bose
• S.K. Mazumder

• 4H-SiC
• Boost converter
• Optical triggering
• Power semiconductor device
• thyristor.

[1] S. M. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Wiley-Interscience, New
York 1969.
[2] P.B. Shah, "Silicon carbide distributed buffer gate turnoff thyristor
structure for blocking high voltages", Electronics Letters, vol. 36, pp.
2108-2109, 2000.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_turn-off_thyristor
[4] J. Wang, G. Wang, J. Li, A. Q. Huang, J. Melcher, and S. Aticitty,
"Silicon carbide emitter turn-off thyristor", International Journal of
Power Management Electronics, vol. 2008, pp. 1-5, 2008.
[5] http://www.ioffe.ru/SVA/NSM/Semicond
[6] http://www.silvaco.com
[7] S. G. Sridhara, R. P. Devaty, and W. J. Choyke, "Absorption
coefficient of 4H silicon carbide from 3900 to 3250 Å", Journal of
Applied Physics, vol. 84, pp. 2963-2964, 1998.
[8] R. Weingartner, P. J. Wellmann, M. Bickermann, D. Hofmann, T. L.
Straubinger and A. Winnacker,"Determination of charge carrier
concentration in n- and p-doped SiC based on optical absorption
measurements", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 80, pp. 70-72, 2002.
[9] K.Danno,D.Nakamura,andT.Kimoto,"Investigation of carrier lifetime
in 4H-SiC epilayers and lifetime control by electron irradiation",
Applied Physics Letters, vol. 90, pp. 202109(1-3), 2007.