Power Electronics Devices

POWER DIODES

Outline
The main topics to be addressed in this lesson are
the following:
Review of diode operation.
Power diode packages.
Internal structure of PN and Schottky power diodes.
Static characteristic of power diodes.
Dynamic characteristic of power diodes.
Losses in power diodes.

Review of PN-diode operation

Modern diodes are based either on PN or Metalsemiconductor (MS) junctions.
Reverse bias and moderate forward bias are
properly described by the following equation (by
Shockley):

i = IS(ev /V - 1), where VT = kT/q and Is is

the reverse-bias saturation current (a
ext

i
10
0

V
ISe
VT

ext
very
small value).

(exponent
ial)

-ISconsta
nt)

i [mA]

i [nA]
Vext [V]
0

-0.5
3
0.25

0.2
5

0.5

Vext
[V]

-10

i +
vext
-

Review of PN-diode operation (II)

When the diode has been heavily forward
biased (high forward current), the voltage i +
drop is proportional to the current (it behaves
vext
as a resistor).
When the reverse voltage applied to a diode
reaches the critical value VBR, then the weak
reverse current starts increasing a lot. The
power dissipation usually becomes destructive
for the device.
According to
i [A]
Shockley
i [A]
3
Actual I-V
equation
Vext [V]
-VBR
characteri
stic
0
Actual I-V
600
According to
characteri
Shockley
stic
V
[V]
equation
ext
-4

10

Review of PN-diode operation (III)

Static model for
(asymptotic):
i [A]
Actual I-V
characteri
stic

diode

Slope = 1/rd

Vext [V]

Mod
el

V = Knee voltage
rd = Dynamic
resistance

Equivalent circuit:
ideal

rd = 1/tg
5

Actual (asymptotic)

i +
vext

Review of PN-diode operation (IV)

Ideal
diode:

i +
vext
-

i [A]

Whatever
the
forward
current
is, the forward
voltage drop is
always zero.

Ideal
diode

Whatever
the
reverse voltage is,
the
reverse
current is always
6
zero.

Vext [V]
The ideal diode behaves
as a short-circuit in
forward bias.
The ideal diode behaves
as a open-circuit in reverse
bias.

Review of PN-diode operation (V)

Low-power
diode.
Anode

Terminal

Anode

Cathode
Package
(glass or epoxi
resin)
Marking
stripe on the
cathode end
7

P
N

Metalsemiconductor
contact
Semiconductor
die
Metalsemiconductor
contact

Cathode
Terminal

Packages for diodes (I)

Axial leaded through-hole
packages
(low power).

DO
35
8

DO
41

DO
15

DO 201

Packages for diodes (II)

Packages to be used with
heat sinks.

Packages for diodes (III)

Packages to be used with
heat sinks
(higher power levels).

DO 5

B 44
10

Packages for diodes (IV)

Assembly of 2 diodes (I).

11

Common cathode
(Dual center tap
Diodes)

Doubler
(2 diodes in
series)

Packages for diodes (V)

Assembly of 2 diodes (II).

12

Packages for diodes (VI)

2 diodes in the same package,
but without electrical connection
between them.

13

Packages for diodes (VII)

Manufacturers frequently offer a
given diode in different packages.

Name

14

Package

Packages for diodes (VIII)

Assembly of 4 diodes (low-power bridge
rectifiers).

Dual in line
15

Packages for diodes (IX)

Assembly of 4 diodes
(medium-power bridge
rectifiers).

16

Packages for diodes (X)

Assembly of 4 diodes
(high-power bridge rectifiers).

17

Packages for diodes (XI)

Assembly of 6 diodes
(Three-phase bridge
rectifiers).

18

Packages for diodes (XII)

Example of a company portfolio regarding singlephase bridge rectifiers.

19

Internal structure of PN power diodes (I)

Basic internal structure of a PN power diode.

Anode

Aluminum contact

NA = 1019 cm-3
10 m

P+
ND1 = 10

14

cmN (epitaxial layer)

-3 -

ND2 = 1019 cm-3

N+ (substrate)

Cathode
20

100 m

(for
VBR=1000V)

250 m

Aluminum contact

Internal structure of PN power diodes (II)

Problems due to the nonuniformity of the electric
field.

Anode

High
electric
field
intensity

Depletion region in reverse bias

P+
NN+

Cathode

21

Breakdown electric field intensity can be reached in

these regions.
Regions with local high electric-field should be
avoided when the device is designed.

Internal structure of PN power diodes (III)

Use of guard rings to get a more uniform electric field.

Anode

SiO

Aluminum contact
SiO2

P+

Guard
ring

P
NN+

Cathode

22

Depletion
region in
reverse bias

Aluminum contact

The depletion layers of the guard ring merge with

the growing depletion layer of the P+N- region, which
prevents the radius of curvature from getting too
small. Thus there are not places where the electric

Internal structure of PN power diodes (IV)

Case where the metallurgical junction extends to the
silicon surface (I).

Anode
High electric
field
intensity in
these
regions

P+
NN+

Cathode
23

Depletion region in
reverse bias

Internal structure of PN power diodes (V)

Case where the metallurgical junction extends to the
silicon surface (II).
SiO

Anode

P+
NN+

SiO2

Depletion
region in
reverse bias

Cathode
The use of beveling minimizes the electric field intensity.
Coating the surface with appropriate materials such as
24
silicon dioxide helps control the electric field at the

Internal structure of Schottky power

diodes
(I)
Problems due to the
nonuniformity
of the electric
field.

Aluminum contact

(N M rectifying)

Anode

Depletion region in reverse bia

SiO2

High
electric
field
intensity

NN+

Cathode

25

Aluminum contact

(N+M ohmic)

Breakdown electric field intensity can be reached in

these regions.
Regions with local high electric-field should be

Internal structure of Schottky power

(II) uniform electric field.
Use of guard rings to diodes
get a more

Anode

SiO

Aluminum contact
(N-M rectifying)

SiO2

P
Guard
ring

P
N-

Depletion
region in
reverse bias

N+

Cathode

26

Aluminum contact
(N+M ohmic)

The depletion layers of the guard ring merge with

the growing depletion layer of the N-M region, which
prevents the radius of curvature from getting too

Information given by the manufacturers

Static characteristic:
- Maximum peak reverse
voltage.
- Maximum forward current.
- Forward voltage drop.
- Reverse current.
Dynamic characteristics:
- Switching times in PN
diodes.
- Junction capacitance in
Schottky diodes.
27

Maximum peak reverse voltage.

Sometimes, manufacturers provide two
values:
- Maximum repetitive peak reverse voltage,
VRRM.
- Maximum non repetitive peak reverse
voltage, VRSM.

28

Maximum forward current.

Manufacturers provide two or three
different values:
- Maximum RMS forward current, IF(RMS).
- Maximum repetitive peak forward current,
IFRM.
- Maximum surge non repetitive forward
current, IFSM.

29

IF(RMS) depends on the

package.

Forward voltage drop, VF (I).

The forward voltage drop increases when the forward
current increases.
It increases linearly at high current level.

ideal

rd
V
Operati
ng
point

Operati
ng
point

Load line
ID

5A
Actual I-V characteristic given by the
manufacturer (in this case is a V-I
30curve). Many times, current is in a log
scale.

Vext

Forward voltage drop, VF (II).

The higher the value of the maximum peak reverse
voltage VRRM, the higher the forward voltage drop V F
at IF(RMS).

31

Forward voltage drop, VF (III).

It can be directly obtained from the I-V
characteristic, for any possible current.
IF(AV) = 4A,
VRRM =
200V

1.25V @ 25A

IF(AV) = 5A,
VRRM =
1200V

2.2V @ 25A

As the values of IF(RMS), IFRM and IFSM are quite different, the
scale corresponding to current must be quite large.
Due to this, forward voltage drop corresponding to
currents well below IF(RMS) cannot be observed properly.
32

Forward voltage drop, VF (IV).

In log
scales.
IF(AV) =
25A, VRRM
= 200V

33

0.84V @ 20A

IF(AV) =
22A, VRRM
= 600V

1.6V @ 20A

Forward voltage drop, VF (V).

Schottky diodes exhibit better
forward voltage drop, at least for
VRRM < 200 (for silicon devices).

34

0.5V @ 10A

Forward voltage drop, VF (VI).

Silicon Schottky diode with
high VRRM.
The forward voltage drop is
quite similar to the one
corresponding to a PN diode.

35

0.69V @ 10A

Forward voltage drop, VF (VII).

Comparing silicon Schottky and
PN diodes, taking into account
their VRRM.
Schott
ky

In case of diodes with

similar values of VRRM,
the forward voltage drop
is quite similar in PN and
Schottky diodes, in both
cases made up of silicon.

However,
Schottky
diodes
always
have
superior
performances
36
from the dynamic point

Schott
ky

P
N

Reverse current, IR (I).

It is measured at VRRM.
It depends on the values of IF(AV) and VRRM (the higher IF(AV)
and VRRM , the higher IR).
It increases when the reverse voltage and the temperature
IF(AV) = 8A, VRRM =
increase.
200V

IF(AV) = 4A, VRRM =

200V

IF(AV) = 5A, VRRM =

1200V
37

Reverse current, IR (II).

Case of Schottky
diodes:

IR increases when IF(AV) and Tj

increase.
IR decreases when VRRM
IF(AV) = 10A, VRRM =
increases.
40V

IF(AV) = 10A, VRRM =

170V

38

Dynamic characteristic of power diodes

(I).

In the case of PN diodes, manufacturers give information

about switching times, reverse recovery current and
forward recovery voltage (slides 108-111, Lesson 1).

i
trr

Reverse
recovery
peak

ts
tf
v

ts = storage time.
tf = fall time.
39
trr = ts + tf = reverse

Forward
recovery
peak

td tr
tfr

td = delay time.
tr = rise time.
tfr = td + tr = forward

Dynamic characteristic of power diodes

(II).
The waveforms given by manufacturers correspond to switchoff and to switch-on inductive loads, because this is the actual
case in most of the power converters.

Switch-on
Switch-of

IF(AV) =
2x8A,
VRRM =
200V
40

Dynamic characteristic of power diodes

(III).
More information
given by
manufacturers (example).

41

Dynamic characteristic of power diodes

(IV).
In the case of Schottky diodes, manufacturers give
information about the depletion layer capacitance (or junction
capacitance, slides 103-106 and 116, Lesson 1).

ND

-- + +
-- +
+ N-type
N
Metal +
-+
- ++

Cj

Cj
V

UV

qND

Cj = A 2(V
p e T
PN
0 + Vrev)
42

Vrev

Dynamic characteristic of power diodes

(V).
Information given by
manufacturers (example).

43

Losses in power diodes (I).

Static losses:
- Reverse losses negligible in practice due to the
low value of IR.
- Conduction losses They must be taken into
account.
Switching (dynamic) losses:
- Turn-on losses.
Conduction
power
losses:switching losses.
- Turn-off losses
higher

Instantaneous value:
[V + rdiD(t)]iD(t)

pD_cond(t) = vD(t)iD(t) =
T

1 S
PD_ cond pD_ cond(t)dt
Average power in a period:
TS 0

Ideal iD
(lossle
ss)

rd
44

+
vD
-

iD

PD_cond = VIavg +
rdIRMS2
Exampl
e

Iavg: average value of

iD(t)
IRMS: RMS value of iD(t)

Losses in power diodes (II).

Power
losses in a
transistor

iD

10 A

trr

iD
Turn-off losses: actual
+
waveforms.
Power
vD
losses in
Instantaneous
the diode
value:
pD_s_off(t) =
= 30ns
vD(t)iD(t)

Average
power in a period:
t
t

ts
3
A

0.8 V VD

tf

1 rr
1 f
PD_ s_ of pD_ s_ of(t)dt pD_ s_ of(t)dt
TS 0
TS 0
t
Turn-off losses in the
diode take place during
tf.

45

-200
V

Moreover, remarkable
losses take place in other
devices (transistors)

Losses in power diodes (III).

Information given by
manufacturers (example).
(Diode STTA506 datasheet)

46

Losses in power diodes (IV).

(Diode STTA506 datasheet)

47

Losses in power diodes (IV).

(Diode STTA506 datasheet)

48