Power Electronics

LECTURE#03

Power Semiconductor Diode

Dr. Irfan Ahmed Halepoto

irfan.halepota@faculty.muet.edu.pk
 Constructional Geometry of P-N Diode
• P-N junction diode is formed by placing p&n type semiconductor
materials in intimate physical contact.
• This is achieved by diffusing acceptor impurities (p- type) in to
donor impurities (n- type) silicon crystal or vice versa .
• Majority carriers from either side, diffuse across the junction to the
opposite side where they are in minority.
• These diffusing carriers will create a region of ionized atoms at the
immediate vicinity of the metallurgical junction.
• This region of immobile ionized atoms is called the Depletion
region (space charge region).
• This process continues till the resultant electric field (created by
space charge density) and potential barrier at the junction builds
up to sufficient level to prevent any further migration of carriers.
– At this point the p-n junction is said to be in thermal
equilibrium condition (no more migration).
 PN Junction in Steady State
Metallurgical Junction
Na Nd
+ + + + + +
- - - - - -
+ + + + + +
- - - - - -
P - - - - - - + + + + + +
n
- - - - - - + + + + + +
- - - - - -
+ + + + + +

Space Charge
Region ionized donors
ionized acceptors

E-Field
_ _
+ +
h+ drift = h+ diffusion e- diffusion = e- drift
 Reverse Recovery Time
IF
trr= ( t2 - t0 )
t2
t0
VR
IRM VRM

• When a diode is switched quickly from forward to reverse bias, it

still continues to conduct due to the minority carriers.
• The minority carriers require finite time, i.e, trr (reverse recovery
time) to recombine with opposite charge and neutralise.
• This time is called reverse recovery time of the diode.
• Reverse recovery time effects the increase in switching losses,
increase in voltage rating, over-voltage (spikes) in inductive loads.
 Reverse Recovery Characteristics: Soft Recovery

Abrupt Recovery

Soft Recovery

ta: time to remove the charge stored in junction’s depletion region

tb : time to remove the charge stored in the bulk semiconductor material
Reverse recovery time = trr = ta+tb, Peak Reverse Current = IRR = ta(di/dt)
Power Semiconductor Diode …Classifications
• Power diodes are classified according to
– Manufacturing Process,
– Operating Characteristics,
– Constructional features,
– Power Ratings,
– Switching Characteristics,
– Reverse Recovery Time,
– Application wise
• General purpose power diodes
• Fast recovery power diodes
• Schottky power diodes
 Power Semiconductor Diodes …Manufacturing process
• Power semiconductor diodes have a pn-junction similar to ordinary diodes.
• Symbol is same as ordinary diode, but construction and packaging is
different.
• Power semiconductor diode P-N junction is formed by allowing Diffusion,
Epitaxial Growth process, which allows modern power diodes to produce
desire characteristics.
• Diffusion process is a transport of molecules from a region of higher
concentration to lower concentration by random molecular motion.
• The result of diffusion is a gradual mixing of material.
• Adjustment of molecule concentration for required results.
• For more than 400V , DIFFUSION process is used for manufacturing.
• Epitaxial Growth process refers to the process of growing a thin layer of
single crystal silicon over a single crystal silicon substrate.
• growth of an Epitaxial layer over the substrate offers improvements in the
performance of devices, faster latch-up in circuits and improved doping
control .
• For less than 400V ratings, EPITAXIAL growth process.
• Power diodes have larger power, voltage & current-handling capabilities,
faster switching speed, operates at high junction temperatures compared
than those of ordinary diodes.
 Diffusion & Epitaxial Growth Process

Diffusion process

Epitaxial Growth process

Power Semiconductor Diode Operating Characteristics

Power Diode:
(a) Simplified structure (b) Circuit symbol (c) Current limits
(d) Voltage limits (e) Safe Operating Area
 Characteristics of Power Semiconductor Diodes
• Power Diodes with largest power rating are required to conduct
several kA in the forward direction with very little power loss while
blocking several kV in the reverse direction.
– Large blocking voltage requires wide depletion layer to restrict
electric field strength below the “impact ionization” level.
– For a wide depletion layer, space charge density in the depletion
layer should also be low.
• But such a construction, will result in a device with high
resistively in the forward direction.
• Consequently, power loss (switching characteristics) at the
required rated current will be unacceptably high and variable.
• On the other hand if forward resistance (and hence power loss) is
reduced by increasing the doping level, reverse break down voltage
will reduce.
• This apparent contradiction in the requirements of a power diode is
resolved by introducing a lightly doped “drift layer” of required
thickness between two heavily doped p+ and n+ layers.
 Construction of Power Semiconductor Diodes

For more than 400V , DIFFUSION process. Cross-sectional view of power diode
For less than 400V ratings, EPITAXIAL growth process
 Constructional Structure of Power Semiconductor Diodes
• With zigzag boundary, the impurities diffuse fast
in vertical orientation into the substrate, so
radius of curvature becomes variable to the
width of depletion layer.
– Electric field becomes non-uniform and is
highest where the curvature is small.
• This leads to a lower breakdown voltage.
• In case of power semiconductor diodes, special
steps are taken in fabrication to control the
radius of curvature of depletion layer boundary,
one such step is the use of GUARD RING.
• Guard rings are mostly of p-type and their
depletion layers merge with the depletion layer
of reverse biased p-n junction.
• This (Guard rings) prevents the radius of
curvature becoming too small, so breakdown
strength is increased.
• The coating of silicon dioxide layer also helps in
controlling the electric field at the surface.
Use of guard ring to improve the breakdown strength of power diode
 Power Diode Bias Conditions
• For the neutrality, number of ionized atoms in p+
region should be same as that in the n+ region.
• However NdK> NaA, space charge region will
extends into the n- drift region (NdD).
• Physical width of drift region can be either larger
or smaller than the depletion layer width.
Consequently two type of diodes exist,
• non punch through & punch through type.
• If the thickness of lightly doped (n-) layer is more
than the thickness of depletion layer width at
breakdown, then it is non-punch through diode
– In “non-punch through” diodes, depletion
layer boundary doesn’t reach to the end of (a) Non-punch through type
the drift layer (non-uniform electric field-
unexpected results) .
– So, electric field strength is maximum at p+
n- junction and decrease to zero at the end
of the depletion region (n+) .
• However if the thickness of n- layer is less than
the depletion layer width at breakdown, diode is
called punch through diode.
• In “punch through” diodes, depletion layer
spans the entire drift region and is in contact
with the n+ cathode (uniform electric field-
(b) punch through type.
expected results).
 Turn ON behavior of a power Diode
• Power Diodes are used in circuits with di/dt
limiting inductors.
• Power Diodes take finite time to make transition
from reverse bias to forward bias condition
(switch ON) & vice versa (switch OFF).
• Forward recovery time, tfr is the time required for
the diode voltage to drop to a particular value
after the forward current starts to flow.
– Forward recovery time (tf) is within 10 us.
• The forward recovery voltage (vfr) during turn ON
may transiently reach a significantly higher value
vfr compared to steady state voltage drop at the
steady current If .
• In some power converter circuits where a free
wheeling diode is used across an asymmetrical
blocking power switch (i.e GTO), this transient
over voltage may be high enough to destroy the
main power switch.
– Forward recovery voltage (vf) is given as a
function of the forward di/dt has typical
values lie within the range of 10-30V.
Forward current & voltage waveforms of a power diode during Turn On operation.
 Turn OFF behavior of a Power Diode
 Diode current does not stop at zero, instead it
grows in the negative direction to Irr (“peak
reverse recovery current”).
 Voltage drop across diode does not change
appreciably from its steady state value till the
diode current reaches reverse recovery level.
• Total recovery time (trr) is in range of a
few tens of microseconds.
 Towards the end of the reverse recovery
period if the reverse current falls too sharply,
(low value of snappiness factor, S), circuit
inductance may cause dangerous over voltage
(Vrr) across the device.
 Snappiness factor, S depends mainly on
the construction of the diode (e.g. drift
region width, doping lever, carrier life time
etc.)
Turn OFF characteristics of a power diode
 General Purpose Power diode
• General purpose power diode is a typical two-terminal pn-junction diode,
manufactured by Diffusion process.
• Used in low power applications where recovery time (slow response) is
not an issue.
• Diode Rectifiers
• Converters for a low input frequency up to 1 KHz.
• Line Commutated Converters
• On state voltage: very low (below 1V)
• Large trr (about 25us) (very slow response)
• Very high current carrying ratings (more than 3kA - up to 5kA)
• Very high voltage blocking ratings (50V to 6kV)
• High forward voltage drop (barrier potential is about 1.2V).
• Low switching frequency (Max 1KHz)
• Used in line-frequency (50/60Hz) applications such as rectifiers
General Purpose Power diode Biasing
 Fast Recovery Power Diode
• Diodes are designed to be used in high frequency
circuits in combination with controllable switches
where a small reverse recovery time is needed.
• Low reverse recovery time (faster switching),
normally less than 5uS.
• Very high forward voltage drop (barrier potential
is about 1.5V).
• High Current handling capacities (1A to 1100A).
• High Voltage blocking capabilities (50v- 3kV).
• For high rating (more than 400V), these diodes
are manufactured by DIFFUSION process
– Recovery time is controlled by Platinum or
Gold diffusion.
• For less than 400V ratings, EPITAXIAL diodes
provides very fast recovery time.
– Epitaxial diodes have a very narrow base
width resulting in recovery time of about
50nS.
• High switching frequency (Max 20KHz)
 Fast Recovery Power Diode Characteristics
• The major field of applications is in electrical power
conversion i.e., in free-wheeling ac-dc and dc-ac
converter circuits.
• Use of fast recovery diodes are preferable for free-
wheeling in SCR circuits because of low recovery loss,
lower junction temperature and reduced di/dt
• These diodes are primarily used in communication
circuits above 1 GHz (high frequency circuits).
 Schottky Power diodes
• Schottky diode is a semiconductor diode with a low forward
voltage and a very fast switching action .
– Reverse recovery time is almost zero (in ideal conditions).
• Schottky diode use a Metal–Semiconductor junction as Schottky
barrier, instead of a semiconductor junction in a conventional
diodes.
• Schottky diode is a majority carrier semiconductor device.
• When a Schottky diode is forward biased, free electrons on the N-
side gain enough energy and travel to the metal side and cause a
forward current,
– since metal does not have any boles, there is no charge storage,
which results in ZERO Reverse recovery time.
 Schottky diodes: Characteristics
• Power Schottky diodes are available up to forward
current ratings of 300A.
• The main limitation of Schottky diode is their low reverse
voltage (Limited blocking voltage) in order of 30 to 100V.
• Very low forward voltage drop (barrier potential is of 0.15
to 0.45V) typically 0.3V
• Used in low voltage, high current such as switched mode
power supplies.
• The operating frequency may be as high 100-300 kHz as
the device is suitable for high frequency application.
 Power Semiconductor Diodes Comparison
General Purpose Diodes Fast Recovery Diodes Schottky Diodes

Up to 6000V & 3500A Up to 3000V and 1100A Up to 100V and 300A

Reverse recovery time – Reverse recovery time – Reverse recovery time –

High Low Extremely low.
trr  25 s trr  0.1 s to 5 s trr  a few nano sec
Turn off time – High Turn off time – Low Turn off time – Extremely
low
Switching frequency – Low Switching frequency – Switching frequency –
(Max 1KHz) High (Max 20KHz) Very high (Max 30KHz)
Vfd=0.7 to 1.2V Vfd=0.8 to 1.5V Vfd=0.15 to 4.5V