Novel Measurement Method for Decoupling Leakage Currents in Active-Region and Termination-Region of High-Power Semiconductors

Abstract

The termination structure is regarded as a weak point of high-power semiconductor devices under blocking conditions. Measurement of the termination-region leakage current is highly beneficial for identifying the failure boundaries of devices under complex operating conditions, thereby enabling more effective guidance for device selection in engineering applications. However, the termination-region leakage current and the active-region leakage current are often strongly coupled during measurement, and a decoupled measurement method is still lacking. To address this issue, first, a leakage current decoupling measurement methodology based on the transient temperature rise of the active region is proposed. Second, a strategy for inducing a transient temperature rise in the active region by using surge current is proposed, and the parameter boundaries of the surge current are designed with the assistance of a two-dimensional (2-D) COMSOL model. Finally, a complete leakage current decoupling measurement system is established, and the effectiveness of the proposed measurement method is experimentally verified using a four-inch reverse-blocking IGCT device.