Abstract
Parasitic inductance in the gate path of a Silicon
Carbide MOSFET places an upper limit upon the switching
speeds achievable from these devices, resulting in
unnecessarily high switching losses due to the introduction of
damping resistance into the gate path. A method to reduce
switching losses is proposed, using a resonant gate driver to
absorb parasitic inductance in the gate path, enabling the
gate resistor to be removed. The gate voltage is maintained
at the desired level using a feedback loop. Experimental
results for a 1200 V Silicon Carbide MOSFET gate driver
are presented, demonstrating switching loss of 230 μJ at 800
V, 10 A. This represents a 20% reduction in switching losses
in comparison to conventional gate drive methods.
Carbide MOSFET places an upper limit upon the switching
speeds achievable from these devices, resulting in
unnecessarily high switching losses due to the introduction of
damping resistance into the gate path. A method to reduce
switching losses is proposed, using a resonant gate driver to
absorb parasitic inductance in the gate path, enabling the
gate resistor to be removed. The gate voltage is maintained
at the desired level using a feedback loop. Experimental
results for a 1200 V Silicon Carbide MOSFET gate driver
are presented, demonstrating switching loss of 230 μJ at 800
V, 10 A. This represents a 20% reduction in switching losses
in comparison to conventional gate drive methods.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 4th IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE 2012) |
| Pages | 2961-2968 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2012 |