Active gate drivers for high-frequency application of SiC MOSFETs

The trend in the development of power converters is focused on efficient systems with high power density, reliability and low cost. The challenges to cover the new power converters requirements are mainly concentered on the use of new switching-device technologies such as silicon carbide MOSFETs (SiC). SiC MOSFETs have better characteristics than their silicon counterparts; they have low conduction resistance, can work at higher switching speeds and can operate at higher temperature and voltage levels. Despite the advantages of SiC transistors, operating at high switching frequencies, with these devices, reveal new challenges. The fast switching speeds of SiC MOSFETs can cause over-voltages and over-currents that lead to electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems. For this reason, gate drivers (GD) development is a fundamental stage in SiC MOSFETs circuitry design. The reduction of the problems at high switching frequencies, thus increasing their performance, will allow to take advantage of these devices and achieve more efficient and high power density systems. This Thesis consists of a study, design and development of active gate drivers (AGDs) aimed to improve the switching performance of SiC MOSFETs applied to high-frequency power converters. Every developed stage regarding the GDs is validated through tests and experimental studies. In addition, the developed GDs are applied to converters for wireless charging systems of electric vehicle batteries. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed GDs and their viability in power converters based on SiC MOSFET devices.La tendencia en el diseño y desarrollo de convertidores de potencia está enfocada en realizar sistemas eficientes con alta densidad de potencia, fiabilidad y bajo costo. Los retos para cubrir esta tendencia están centrados principalmente en el uso de nuevas tecnologías de dispositivos de conmutación tales como, MOSFETs de carburo de silicio (SiC). Los MOSFETs de SiC presentan mejores características que sus homólogos de silicio; tienen baja resistencia de conducción, pueden trabajar a mayores velocidades de conmutación y pueden operar a mayores niveles de temperatura y tensión. A pesar de las ventajas de los transistores de SiC, existen problemas que se manifiestan cuando estos dispositivos operan a altas frecuencias de conmutación. Las rápidas velocidades de conmutación de los MOSFETs de SiC pueden provocar sobre-voltajes y sobre-corrientes que conllevan a problemas de interferencia electromagnética (EMI). Por tal motivo, el desarrollo de controladores de puertas es una etapa fundamental en los MOSFETs de SiC para eliminar los problemas a altas frecuencias de conmutación y aumentar su rendimiento. En consecuencia, aprovechar las ventajas de estos dispositivos y lograr sistemas más eficientes y con alta densidad de potencia. En esta tesis, se realiza un estudio, diseño y desarrollo de controladores activos de puerta para mejorar el rendimiento de conmutación de los MOSFETs de SiC aplicados a convertidores de potencia de alta frecuencia. Los controladores son validados a través de pruebas y estudios experimentales. Además, los controladores de puerta desarrollados son aplicados en convertidores para sistemas de carga inalámbrica de baterías de vehículos eléctricos. Los resultados muestran la importancia de los controladores de compuerta propuestos y su viabilidad en convertidores de potencia basados en carburo de silicio

A simple gate drive for SiC MOSFET with switching transient improvement

This paper presents a new active gate drive for SiC MOSFETs switching. The proposed driver is based on feedforward control method. The switch is benefited from a simple and effective analog gate driver (GD). The main achievement of this GD is the transient enhancement with minimum undesirable effect on the switching efficiency. Also, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) as the main threat to the operation of SiC MOSFET is eliminated by this method. The proposed GD has been validated through the simulation and experimental tests. All the evaluation have been carried out in a hard switching condition with high-frequency switching.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A simple gate drive for SiC MOSFET with switching transient improvement

This paper presents a new active gate drive for SiC MOSFETs switching. The proposed driver is based on feedforward control method. The switch is benefited from a simple and effective analog gate driver (GD). The main achievement of this GD is the transient enhancement with minimum undesirable effect on the switching efficiency. Also, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) as the main threat to the operation of SiC MOSFET is eliminated by this method. The proposed GD has been validated through the simulation and experimental tests. All the evaluation have been carried out in a hard switching condition with high-frequency switching.Peer Reviewe

Active gate switching control of IGBT to improve efficiency in high power density converters

Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power semiconductors are widely employed in industrial applications. This power switch capability in high voltage blocking and high current-carrying has expanded its use in power electronics. However, efficiency improvement and reducing the size of products is one of main tasks of engineers in recent years. In order to achieve high-density power converters, attentions are focused on the use of fast IGBTs. Therefore, for achieving this desire the trend is designing more effective IGBT gate drivers. In gate drive (GD) controlling, the main issue is maintaining transient behavior of the MOS-channel switch in well condition; when it switches fast to reduce losses. It is well known that fast switching has a direct effect on the efficiency improvement; meanwhile, it is the major reason of appearing electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems in switched-mode power converters. Nowadays the most expectant of an active gate driver (AGD) is actively adjusting the switching transient through simple circuit implementation. Usually its performance is compared with the conventional gate driver (CGD) with fixed driving profile. As a result a proposed AGD has the capability of increasing the switching speed while minimizing the switching stress. Different novel active gate drivers (as feed-forward and closed-loop topologies) have been designed and analysed in this study. To improve the exist trade-off between switching losses and EMI problem, all effective factors on this trade-off are evaluated and considered in proposed solutions. Theoretical developments include proposed controlling methods and simulated efficiency of IGBTs switching control. The efficiency improvement has been pursued with considering EMI study in the proposed active gate controller. Experimental tests have been conducted to verify the design and validate the results. Beside technical aspects, cost study has also considered in the closed-loop GD. The proposed gate drivers are simple enough to allow its use in real industrial applications.Los semiconductores de potencia (IGBT) se emplean ampliamente en aplicaciones industriales. La capacidad de este interruptor de bloqueo en alta tensión y conducción de alta corriente ha ampliado su uso en la electrónica de potencia. Sin embargo, la mejora de la eficiencia y la reducción del tamaño de los convertidores de potencia es una de las tareas principales de los ingenieros de diseño. Para lograr convertidores de potencia de alta densidad y eficiencia, se requiere el uso de IGBT rápidos. Por lo tanto, la tendencia es diseñar controladores de puerta para IGBT más efectivos. En el control de la unidad de puerta (GD), el problema principal es mantener el comportamiento transitorio del conmutador del canal MOS bajo control, cuando conmuta a lata frecuencia para reducir las pérdidas. Es bien sabido que la conmutación rápida tiene un efecto directo en la mejora de la eficiencia; Sin embargo, la alta frecuencia de conmutación es la razón principal de la aparición de problemas de interferencia electromagnética (EMI) en los convertidores de potencia de modo conmutado. En la actualidad, la acción más directa para un controlador de puerta activo (AGD) consiste en el ajuste activo del transitorio de conmutación a través de la implementación de un circuito simple. Para evaluar su eficiencia, su rendimiento se compara con el controlador de puerta convencional (CGD) con perfil de conducción fijo. Los resultados muestran que la propuesta de AGD tiene la capacidad de aumentar la velocidad de conmutación mientras minimiza el stress. En este estudio se han diseñado y analizado diferentes controladores de puerta activa novedosos (como topologías de control en avance y de bucle cerrado). Para mejorar el balance existente entre la reducción de pérdidas y los problemas de EMI, todos los factores que afectan a las pérdidas y la EMI se evalúan y se consideran en las soluciones propuestas. Los desarrollos teóricos incluyen el análisis y desarrollo de los métodos de control propuestos, la simulación de la operación del control de conmutación del IGBT, y la validación experimental. Además de los aspectos técnicos de eficiencia y emisiones electromagnéticas, el estudio de costes también se ha considerado en los análisis de AGD. Los resultados muestran que los controladores de puerta propuestos son lo suficientemente eficientes y económicos como para permitir su uso en aplicaciones industriales realesPostprint (published version

CMOS Active Gate Driver for Closed-Loop dv/dt Control of Wide Bandgap Power Transistors

Wide bandgap (WBG) power transistors such as SiC MOSFETs and GaN HEMTs are a real breakthrough in power electronics. These power semiconductor devices have lower conduction and switching losses than their Silicon competitors. However, the fast switching transients can be an issue in terms of Electromagnetic Interferences (EMI). Consequently, one must slow down the switching speeds of WBG transistors to comply with EMI limitations, which reduces their advantages in terms of higher switching frequencies and lower total losses. In this work, an active gate driver is proposed to control the switching speed of wide bandgap semiconductor power transistors. An innovative closed-loop control circuit makes it possible to adjust separately the dv/dt and di/dt during the switching sequences. Overall, the dv/dt values can be reduced to comply with system-level limits of EMI, with less switching losses than existing methods. The proposed method is thoroughly investigated, with analytic and numerical models to assess the key performances: feedback loop bandwidth, optimal circuit design, area consumption. Selected and optimal designs are implemented in two integrated circuits in CMOS technology which demonstrate delay times below the nanosecond. With such performances, it has been shown experimentally that it is possible to actively control switching speeds higher than 100 V/ns under voltages of 400 V