Comparative evaluation of the short-circuit withstand capability of 1.2 kV silicon carbide (SiC) power transistors in real life applications

• Effect of a large stray inductance on short-circuit endurance of SiC devices
• Comparison of the latest technology SiC/Si transistors on short-circuit ruggedness
• Loss of the gate control of SiC JFETs during short-circuits of long duration
• Investigation of the failure mechanism of SiC and Si power devices

In this paper, the response of the new generation silicon carbide (SiC) power transistors under short-circuit faults is examined. The study is focused on real life applications, where a large stray inductance is typically part of the main power loop. Three types of short-circuits are experimentally investigated and the effect of the stray inductance in each case is recorded. A comparative analysis regarding the performance of the SiC junction field effect transistors (JFETs) and SiC metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs), along with the latest technology silicon (Si) MOSFETs is carried out. Maximum instantaneous power, critical energy and saturation current are the main criteria for evaluating the robustness of each power device. A destructive test is performed in order to obtain the short-circuit withstand capability and the failure mechanism of each semiconductor.