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Analysis of surge current-induced failure in IGCTs and structural optimization
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DOI：10.1088/1361-6463/ae6282.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The surge-current capability of integrated gate-commutated thyristors (IGCTs) under extreme fault conditions is critical for direct-current circuit breakers. In this study, the surge robustness and failure mechanisms of IGCTs were investigated through experiments and electro-thermal simulations. Results show that device failure initiates in the outermost ring, where high power loss combined with the negative temperature coefficient of the on-state voltage drop (Von) leads to current crowding and localized thermal runaway. To mitigate this, a segmented-anode IGCT (SA-IGCT) with P+ strips embedded in the P emitter is proposed. Under high current conditions, these P+ strips inject additional holes into the drift region, enhancing conductivity modulation, reducing Von, and suppressing temperature rise and inter-ring nonuniformity. Simulations show that under a 40 kA peak surge current (ITSM), the SA-IGCT reduces the peak temperature by 33.9% and lowers Von by 39.6% compared to the traditional IGCT, while maintaining comparable blocking leakage current. These results demonstrate that the proposed SA-IGCT achieves a favorable trade-off between surge robustness and blocking performance. Its simple fabrication also makes it a promising candidate for high-voltage direct current applications.
Keywords:
IGCT
surge current
failure mechanism
electro-thermal simulation
segmented-anode structure
Journal
J
IF:
3.2
Papers:
726
Citations:
0
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Cited Papers