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The Bi-mode Insulated Gate Transistor BIGT is a single chip reverse conducting IGBT concept, which is foreseen to replace the standard IGBT / Diode two chip approach in many high power semiconductor applications. Therefore, it is important to understand in detail the design challenges and performance trade-offs faced when optimizing the BIGT for different application requirements. In this paper, we present the main conflicting design trade-offs for achieving the overall electrical and thermal performance targets. We will demonstrate experimentally how on one hand, the BIGT provides improved design features which overcome the restrictions of the current state of the art IGBT/diode concepts, while on the other hand, a new set of tailoring parameters arise for an optimum BIGT behavior.

The BIGT is a Reverse Conducting IGBT device which combines functionality of a high power IGBT and fast diode on a single chip. In this paper, an investigation of the IGBT mode short circuit performance of the BIGT is carried out. The behavior of the BIGT under IGBT mode short circuit conditions is illustrated by measurements on a 3.3kV 1500A HiPak1 module and then supported by circuit and detailed device physics simulations. The short circuit conditions of type II and type III are discussed, with the variations introduced due to the gate control of the BIGT when operated in reverse conducting mode. Comparison to standard IGBTs with Soft-Punch-Through (SPT) technology in a HiPak2 module is also provided.