Reconfigurable Special Test Circuit of physics-based IGBT models parameter extraction

Physics-based models of power electronic devices are the most accurate for circuit simulation purposes. However, many parameters of such models are related to device physics and structure and are not directly available for the user. The IGBT is still the most used power semiconductor device for applications at medium power and frequency ranges, due to its good compromise between on-state loss, switching loss, and ease of control. This paper presents a procedure for extracting the most important parameters of the IGBT, with physical background and electrical measurements. The goal is to develop a deeply understanding of the device-structure and to simulate correctly both steady-state and transient period with any circuit simulation software without the IGBT model provided by the manufacturer. The method consists of seven test setups and seven algorithms for extracting 13 physical and structural parameters needed in most physics-based IGBT models; by using only one Reconfigurable Special Test Circuit in order to achieve the different test setups conditions.