Light triggered 4H-SiC thyristors with an etched guard ring assisted JTE

Nicolas Dheilly (1) , Dominique Planson (1) , Gontran Pâques (2) , Sigo Scharnholz (2)

1 EE - Ampère, Département Energie Electrique
2 ISL - Institut franco-allemand de recherches de Saint-Louis

In this paper, an original termination, the etched guard ring assisted junction termination extension (JTE), is demonstrated on 4H-SiC light triggered thyristors. The termination structure, designed with finite element simulations, is detailed and particular attention is paid to the sensitivity to etching depth uncertainties. The fabrication processes and the electrical characterization of the devices are described. A blocking voltage of 6.3 kV is attained, validating the principle of the termination. Switching and quasi static on-state measurements are also performed to investigate the functionality of the thyristors.

Mots clés: Guard rings assisted JTE; Light triggered thyristor; Silicon Carbide; Blocking voltage; Electrical characterization; Etched termination; Etching depth; Fabrication process; Finite element simulations; Guard-rings; Junction termination extensions; Light triggered thyristors; Quasi-static; SiC thyristors

Domaines: Energie électrique

Nicolas Dheilly, Dominique Planson, Gontran Pâques, Sigo Scharnholz. Light triggered 4H-SiC thyristors with an etched guard ring assisted JTE. Solid-State Electronics, 2012, 73, pp.32-36. ⟨10.1016/j.sse.2012.02.007⟩. ⟨hal-00747348⟩