Gate drive for high speed, high power IGBTs

Abstract

A new gate drive for high-voltage, high-power IGBTs has been developed for the SLAC NLC (Next Linear Collider) Solid State Induction Modulator [1]. This paper describes the design and implementation of a driver that allows an IGBT module rated at 800A/3300V to switch up to 3000A at 2200V in 3µS with a rate of current rise of more than 10000A/µS, while still being short circuit protected. Issues regarding fast turn on, high de-saturation voltage detection, and low short circuit peak current will be presented. A novel approach is also used to counter the effect of unequal current sharing between parallel chips inside most high-power IGBT modules. It effectively reduces the collector-emitter peak current, and thus protects the IGBT from being destroyed during soft short circuit conditions at high di/dt.

A Test Environment for Power Semiconductor Devices Using a Gate-Boosting Circuit

“…Some authors [2] use two different driving voltages during turn-on and steady-on (e.g. +24 V and +15 V), whereas others propose to discharge a capacitor (charged at +60 V) into the gate and clamp the gate voltage to less than 15 V using a Transient-Voltage-Suppression Diode [7]. These approaches work well, however, the circuit topology is complex and uses additional active elements as compared to a standard push-pull gate drive.…”

Experimental investigation of short-circuit failures in a three level neutral-point-clamped voltage-source converter phase-leg with IGBTs

“…Futhermore, there are symmetries in the short-circuit behaviour which allow a huge reduction of the failures to be examined. The 3L-NPC's short-circuit failures can be divided into three categories: Type1 Failures can be detected by desaturation detection [15], [16], [17] and can be cleared in a single converter phase-leg by simultaneously turning off all devices. Type2 Failures need additional hard-or software effort to be detected and/or cleared in a single converter phaseleg.…”

Reliability

“…During the first phase of the NLC Induction Modulator project, an IGBT gate driver [2] was developed to drive the Eupec IGBT module FZ800R33, rated at 3.3kV and 800A. Each module was tested on the test bench for normal operation at 2000A, 3µs, and shorted circuit at 2200V.…”