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Transistors/ Diodes (/TransistorsandDiodes.aspx)

This article was posted on 07/10/2015

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How NOT to destroy an IGBT ep-300x250%26utm_campaign%3Ddcm-
dsp-gl-
New chipset mops up a significant number of passive and active components to aspencore_alwayson_q1_2018%26dclid%3D%25
improve reliability and decrease size.

By MICHAEL HORNKAMP,
Sr Director High Power Regional Marketing and Application Engineering,
Power Integrations
www.power.com (http://www.power.com)

IGBTs are used to switch power in many products such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), servo drives, electric cars,
buses and trucks, trains, medical equipment (x-ray and MR) , air-conditioners and even some professional audio systems.
These are all termed ‘high power’ applications, which may lead them to be considered more electrical than electronic and
therefore less sensitive. However, there are still a number of different failure mechanisms which will result in the destruction
of the IGBT unless great care is taken during system design and operation.

Like all devices, operating conditions – temperature, thermal shock, thermal and power cycling and vibration - can cause
failure. ESD, too, can be a killer, but and we often see failures due to poor handling practices, possibly because IGBTs
and gate drivers are often installed by cabinet installers rather than electronics personnel. Protecting IGBTs against these
types of failure is largely a matter of following installation guidelines and ensuring that the device is being held within its
defined operating conditions.

Overcurrent is another potential cause of failure. There are integrated solutions to this problem, but there are also simple,
low cost solutions using measurements made by the current transducer in the AC output, so most customers prefer not to
pay for the extra protection.

The main other failure mechanisms are short circuits, high di/dt, high dv/dt and gate-emitter and collector-emitter over-
voltages. It is these types of failure that industry demands protection against – especially as power levels approach 100
kW and beyond and systems become expensive - so manufacturers of IGBT drivers such as Power Integrations have built-
in innovative and reliable protection regimes into their products that address these circumstances to safeguard the IGBT
module.

Short circuit

Figure 1 shows the behavior of an IGBT under two different short circuit conditions with low inductance (case 1) and high
inductance (case 2). One commonly-used method to detect short circuits, and therefore turn off the IGBT before it is
damaged is to use an optocoupler IC with integrated ‘desat’ (desaturation) protection. Unfortunately, there are two
disadvantages. Firstly, optocoupler ICs with desat protection also require high voltage diodes which can be expensive and
lossy. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the required desat monitoring electronics are often too sensitive to EMI or
VCE voltage spikes. This can result in false short circuit identification, causing the IGBT to turn off for no good reason. A
different method is employed by Power Integrations in its IGBT-drivers which use an ASIC chipset to reduce component
count and size, and increase performance, efficiency and scalability. The chipset also includes advanced monitoring and
controlling features. To address short circuit measurement, the SCALE-2 chipset and a resistor chain are used to
dynamically measure the VCE of the IGBT (see Fig. 2). Not only does this mean that small spikes do not cause false
triggering, but also there are other advantages. The resistor chain method is lower cost than the standard diode
measurement option, and has no coupling capacitance. Therefore there is no additional efficiency-sapping capacitance
and no negative effects due to dv/dt. A further advantage is that the sensitivity of the devices can be easily adjusted to suit
the particular application using a reference pin.

Fig. 1: IGBT behaviour with low inductance (Case 1); and high inductance (Case 2)

Fig. 2: To address short circuit measurement, the SCALE-2 chipset and a resistor chain are used to dynamically
measure the VCE of the IGBT

Advanced and dynamic advanced active clamping

The SCALE-2 chipset is also used to implement sophisticated Active Clamping techniques to address other IGBT failure
modes mentioned earlier - high di/dt, high dv/dt and gate-emitter and collector-emitter over-voltages.
Fig. 3: Dynamic Advanced Active Clamping with dv/dt feedback

Basic active clamping (AC box in Fig. 3) limits the IGBT’s VCE during turn-off. The IGBT is partially turned on as soon as
its VCE voltage exceeds a predefined threshold. The IGBT is then maintained in linear operation which reduces the rate at
which the collector current falls, thereby restricting the collector-emitter over-voltage. With SCALE-2 technology, Advanced
Active Clamping (AAC) feedback (box AC and AAC in Fig. 3) operates on the driver’s secondary side ASIC. As soon as
the voltage increases due to the active clamping activity, the turn-off MOSFET of the driver connected to GL is
progressively switched off. This reduces the charge that flows from the IGBT gate to COM through the turn-off gate resistor
Rg,off. As well as reducing the IGBT turn-off collector-emitter over-voltage this cuts power losses in the TVS, improving
efficiency.

A dv/dt feedback function (box dv/dv feedback in Fig. 3) can also be implemented in SCALE-2 drivers. This results in very
efficient turn-off over-voltage limitation during regular switching operation without thermally overloading the TVS diodes.
During the collector-emitter voltage rise, a currentflows in the capacitors and is applied parallel to the TVS diodes. This
current further supports the Advanced Active Clamping, because it flows to the same driver’s terminal, but is applied
sequentially prior to the Advanced Active Clamping feedback. With this additional driving method, the VCE voltage
clamping is more effective and the losses generated in the TVS are reduced. If set up correctly, the IGBT can work
continuously in this operational mode. Therefore, it is possible to switch an IGBT module with higher dc-link stray
inductance without exceeding the module’s Reverse Bias Safe Operating Area (RBSOA). Also, snubber capacitors may
not be necessary.

Power Integrations has taken clamping one stage further: Dynamic Advanced Active Clamping (DA2C) adds an additional
TVS diode(s) (box DA2C in Fig. 3) in series with the TVS diodes used for Advanced Active Clamping. This additional
TVS diode is short-circuited with an auxiliary switch Q0 during the IGBT on-state as well as for about 15 to 20 µs after the
IGBT turn-off command to guarantee efficient active clamping (the additional TVS diode is not active during IGBT turn-off).
After this delay, the auxiliary switch Q0 is turned-off. The additional TVS diode is therefore activated and allows the DC-
link voltage to be increased to a higher value during the IGBT off-state. This means that the output inductors of the
converter system can be demagnetized after emergency shut-down, avoiding a short but otherwise inevitable DC-link
voltage increase.

Soft shut down

Both AAC and DA2C suit applications with high commutation stray inductances that require the control of IGBT turn-off
di/dt, and make operation possible within the reverse bias safe operating area. But some applications, for example with
low commutation stray inductances and where the IGBT turn-off overshoot falls within the RBSOA, a simpler option is Soft
Shut Down (SSD), which has the advantage of not requiring TVS diodes to perform the active clamping. SSD is activated
after a short-circuit is detected. It protects the IGBT against destruction by limiting the short circuit duration and current
slope in order to keep momentary VCE below VCES (IGBT blocking voltage capability). Figure 4 shows the principle of
the SSD function.
Fig. 4: The soft shut down principle shown on a scope

The VCE desaturation is visible during time period P1 (green line) and thanks to the rail-to-rail gate driver output stage
technology, the VGE (gate-emitter voltage, pink line) is kept very stable. After P1 (approximately 5 µs), VGE is limited to a
lower value during a period specified as tFSSD. During tFSSD, the short circuit current IC is limited and initially a small
overvoltage VCE occurs. During time period P3, the gate of the IGBT is being further discharged. Shortly before the
discharging process is finished the gate-emitter is connected to COM. The remainder of the gate charge is removed, the
short circuit current is switched off and a second small VCE overvoltage occurs. The whole short -circuit current detection
and safe switch-off is lower than 10 µs. Power Integrations enables this through a version of its SCALE-2 technology,
SCALE-2+ which enables either AAC / DA2C or SSD to be implemented.

Integration

At the heart of all the IGBT protection schemes described here, is Power Integrations’ SCALE-2 chipset, which adds
these functions to its main task of driving, controlling and monitoring the performance of the IGBT module. The chipset
mops up a significant number of passive and active components that other solutions require to complete these functions.
In this way not only do the products deliver increased functionality, they also improve reliability and decrease size.

By MICHAEL HORNKAMP, Sr Director High Power Regional Mark eting and Application Engineering, Power Integrations, www.power.com

Learn more about Power Integrations (/Companies/Power_Integrations.aspx)

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