Rugged LV Trench IGBT with Extreme Stability in Continuous SOA Operation: Next Generation LV Technology at Hitachi ABB Powergrids

Abstract:
A new generation low voltage (LV, 1200 V, 150 A rated) fine pattern (FP, active trench distance < 2 µm) trench gate insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) has been developed and optimized at Hitachi ABB Power Grids for improved on-state and turn-off losses, robustness and long-term performance reliability. In this work, different IGBT protection cell designs have been systematically investigated. A new design concept is proposed and experimentally investigated with the purpose of realizing a robust degradation-free design without comprising the device performance. Our new state-of-the-art FP LV trench IGBT has been investigated under repetitive harsh switching conditions. The new design has been found to have a stable performance over time and be minimally affected by dynamic avalanche degradation even when switched with a 4 x Inom current.