Automated modular high energy evaluation system for experimental thyristor devices.

Area of Science:

• Power electronics
• Semiconductor device testing
• Materials science

Background:

• Silicon carbide (SiC) Super Gate Turn Off (SGTO) thyristors are advanced power semiconductor devices.
• Reliability testing is crucial for the adoption of new semiconductor technologies.
• Existing test methods may not be suitable for high-energy SGTO devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a high-energy, automated test bed for SGTO thyristors.
• To enable both safe operating area (SOA) and high-volume reliability testing.
• To characterize the performance of experimental SiC SGTO devices.

Main Methods:

• Development of a modular, automated test bed with integrated data acquisition.
• Configuration for discharging variable currents up to 6 kA into a 0.5 Ω load.
• Application of a 100 μs wide square pulse for energy delivery up to 1.8 kJ.

Main Results:

• Successful design and implementation of the automated test bed.
• Demonstration of capability for high-energy pulse testing.
• Evaluation of experimental SiC SGTO thyristors under specific test conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed test bed is effective for SOA and reliability testing of SiC SGTO thyristors.
• The modular design allows for adaptation to various power and pulse width requirements.
• The system provides a robust platform for characterizing next-generation power devices.