Single-Event Burnout Mechanisms in SiC Power MOSFETs

By A. Witulski, D. Ball, K. Galloway, A. Javanainen, J. Lauenstein, A. Sternberg, peixiong zhao. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 2018

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Heavy ion-induced single-event burnout (SEB) is investigated in high-voltage silicon carbide power MOSFETs. Experimental data for 1200-V SiC power MOSFETs show a significant decrease in SEB onset voltage for particle linear energy transfers greater than 10 MeV/cm2/mg, above which the SEB threshold voltage is nearly constant at half of the rated maximum operating voltage for these devices. TCAD simulations show a parasitic bipolar junction transistor turn-on mechanism, which drives the avalanching of carriers and leads to runaway drain current, resulting in SEB.

Subfields: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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