High Voltage and Fast Switching Reverse Recovery Characteristics of 4H-SiC PiN Diode

Abstract

The reverse recovery characteristics of a 4H-SiC PiN diode under higher voltage and faster switching are investigated. In a high-voltage 4H-SiC PiN diode, owing to an increased thickness, the drift region does not become fully depleted at a relatively low voltage Furthermore, an electron–hole recombination must be taken into account when the carrier lifetime is equal to or shorter than the reverse recovery time. High voltage and fast switching are therefore needed for accurate analysis of the reverse recovery characteristics. The current reduction rate increases up to 2 kA/μs because of low stray inductance. The maximum reverse voltage during the reverse recovery time reaches 8 kV, at which point the drift layer is fully depleted. The carrier lifetime at the high level injection is 0.086 μs at room temperature and reaches 0.53 μs at 250 °C.