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This paper focuses on the role of the N-[N.sup.+] junction doping profile model of a PiN diode on its turn-off transient and, particularly, the influence of multiple epitaxies in the N-[N.sup.+] profile. A conventional doping profile model has been used in a previous work and an identification procedure for the main design parameters has been demonstrated. However the validity range of identified PiN-diode models appeared quite limited for hard current and voltage conditions. Readers have asked for the effect of a more advanced doping profile. The turn-off transient of an STTB506D device is considered from experimental and simulation point-of-view inside a fully characterized switching cell. A limitation of the conventional doping profile model is demonstrated and explained physically in order to introduce the necessity of a more complex doping profile. An advanced doping profile is then considered and a comparative study between experimental and simulated turn-off transient behavior of the device is established. Index Terms--PiN diode.

Design of integrated power systems requires prototype-less approaches. Accurate simulations are necessary for analysis and verification purposes. Simulation relies on component models and associated parameters. The paper focuses on a step-by-step extraction procedure for the design parameters of a one-dimensional finite-element-method (FEM) model of the PiN diode. The design parameters are also available for diverse physics-based analytical models. The PiN diode remains a complex device to model particularly during switching transients. The paper demonstrates that a simple FEM model may be considered unknowingly of the device exact technology. Heterogeneous simulation is illustrated. The state-of-art of parameter extraction methods is briefly recalled. The proposed procedure is detailed. The diode model and extracted parameters are systematically validated from electro-thermal point-of-view. Validity domains are discussed. Index Terms--Finite-element-method (FEM), PiN diode.

The continued use of high-voltage thyristor devices in industry and their increased use in high-voltage dc transmission systems call for more attention to the properties of these devices. One of the important thyristor parameters is their turn-off time tq, which can be a limiting factor when applying thyristors at elevated switching frequencies. Hence, the accurate measurement of tq and its variation versus the operating conditions remains a crucial task for thyristor converters operating at elevated switching frequencies. In this paper, a proper test circuit for measuring this parameter with a high level of accuracy has been designed and built. Owing to the test circuit specificity, the variation effects of several electrical and physical constraints, such as the forward current IF, the reverse applied voltage VR, the operating temperature To, and the ramp rate of the forward reapplied voltage dVD/dt, on the tq parameter of thyristors are also studied and analyzed based on the physics of semiconductor devices and associated simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Accurate modelling of PiN diode transient behaviour is necessary to extract design parameters which are not documented in datasheets. To meet this requirement, this paper introduces a novel approach giving the possibility to identify accurate parameters of a given device. The used technique is based only on two stages. First, the design parameters are initialized and optimized. Second, they are refined by minimizing the cost function which depends on the transient switching parameters (IRM, VRM and trr). With a simple and CPU time-saving approach this technique leads to extract design parameters without necessarily knowing the exact technological architecture of the PiN diode. Moreover, in order to validate the proposed approach and the parameter extraction procedure three commercial diodes are tested. A good agreement between experimental and simulation data is obtained. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the role of the N-N+ junction doping profile model of a PiN diode on its turn-off transient and, particularly, the influence of multiple epitaxies in the N-N+ profile. A conventional doping profile model has been used in a previous work and an identification procedure for the main design parameters has been demonstrated. However the validity range of identified PiN-diode models appeared quite limited for hard current and voltage conditions. Readers have asked for the effect of a more advanced doping profile. The turn-off transient of an STTB506D device is considered from experimental and simulation point-of-view inside a fully characterized switching cell. A limitation of the conventional doping profile model is demonstrated and explained physically in order to introduce the necessity of a more complex doping profile. An advanced doping profile is then considered and a comparative study between experimental and simulated turn-off transient behavior of the device is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]