6,631 research outputs found
Investigation of FACTS devices to improve power quality in distribution networks
Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) technologies are power electronic solutions
that improve power transmission through enhanced power transfer volume and stability,
and resolve quality and reliability issues in distribution networks carrying sensitive
equipment and non-linear loads. The use of FACTS in distribution systems is still in
its infancy. Voltages and power ratings in distribution networks are at a level where
realistic FACTS devices can be deployed. Efficient power converters and therefore loss
minimisation are crucial prerequisites for deployment of FACTS devices.
This thesis investigates high power semiconductor device losses in detail. Analytical
closed form equations are developed for conduction loss in power devices as a function
of device ratings and operating conditions. These formulae have been shown to predict
losses very accurately, in line with manufacturer data. The developed formulae enable
circuit designers to quickly estimate circuit losses and determine the sensitivity of those
losses to device voltage and current ratings, and thus select the optimal semiconductor
device for a specific application.
It is shown that in the case of majority carrier devices (such as power MOSFETs), the
conduction power loss (at rated current) increases linearly in relation to the varying rated
current (at constant blocking voltage), but is a square root of the variable blocking voltage
when rated current is fixed. For minority carrier devices (such as a pin diode or IGBT),
a similar relationship is observed for varying current, however where the blocking voltage
is altered, power losses are derived as a square root with an offset (from the origin).
Finally, this thesis conducts a power loss-oriented evaluation of cascade type multilevel
converters suited to reactive power compensation in 11kV and 33kV systems. The cascade
cell converter is constructed from a series arrangement of cell modules. Two prospective
structures of cascade type converters were compared as a case study: the traditional type
which uses equal-sized cells in its chain, and a second with a ternary relationship between
its dc-link voltages. Modelling (at 81 and 27 levels) was carried out under steady state
conditions, with simplified models based on the switching function and using standard
circuit simulators. A detailed survey of non punch through (NPT) and punch through
(PT) IGBTs was completed for the purpose of designing the two cascaded converters.
Results show that conduction losses are dominant in both types of converters in NPT
and PT IGBTs for 11kV and 33kV systems. The equal-sized converter is only likely to
be useful in one case (27-levels in the 33kV system). The ternary-sequence converter
produces lower losses in all other cases, and this is especially noticeable for the 81-level
converter operating in an 11kV network
Fast physical models for Si LDMOS power transistor characterization
A new nonlinear, process-oriented, quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) model is described for microwave laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS) power transistors. A set of one-dimensional energy transport equations are solved across a two-dimensional cross-section in a âcurrent-drivenâ form. The model accounts for avalanche breakdown and gate conduction, and accurately predicts DC and microwave characteristics at execution speeds sufficiently fast for circuit simulation applications
Modeling of Total Ionizing Dose Effects in Advanced Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Technologies
abstract: The increased use of commercial complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies in harsh radiation environments has resulted in a new approach to radiation effects mitigation. This approach utilizes simulation to support the design of integrated circuits (ICs) to meet targeted tolerance specifications. Modeling the deleterious impact of ionizing radiation on ICs fabricated in advanced CMOS technologies requires understanding and analyzing the basic mechanisms that result in buildup of radiation-induced defects in specific sensitive regions. Extensive experimental studies have demonstrated that the sensitive regions are shallow trench isolation (STI) oxides. Nevertheless, very little work has been done to model the physical mechanisms that result in the buildup of radiation-induced defects and the radiation response of devices fabricated in these technologies. A comprehensive study of the physical mechanisms contributing to the buildup of radiation-induced oxide trapped charges and the generation of interface traps in advanced CMOS devices is presented in this dissertation. The basic mechanisms contributing to the buildup of radiation-induced defects are explored using a physical model that utilizes kinetic equations that captures total ionizing dose (TID) and dose rate effects in silicon dioxide (SiO2). These mechanisms are formulated into analytical models that calculate oxide trapped charge density (Not) and interface trap density (Nit) in sensitive regions of deep-submicron devices. Experiments performed on field-oxide-field-effect-transistors (FOXFETs) and metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors permit investigating TID effects and provide a comparison for the radiation response of advanced CMOS devices. When used in conjunction with closed-form expressions for surface potential, the analytical models enable an accurate description of radiation-induced degradation of transistor electrical characteristics. In this dissertation, the incorporation of TID effects in advanced CMOS devices into surface potential based compact models is also presented. The incorporation of TID effects into surface potential based compact models is accomplished through modifications of the corresponding surface potential equations (SPE), allowing the inclusion of radiation-induced defects (i.e., Not and Nit) into the calculations of surface potential. Verification of the compact modeling approach is achieved via comparison with experimental data obtained from FOXFETs fabricated in a 90 nm low-standby power commercial bulk CMOS technology and numerical simulations of fully-depleted (FD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) n-channel transistors.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Electrical Engineering 201
Total Dose Simulation for High Reliability Electronics
abstract: New technologies enable the exploration of space, high-fidelity defense systems, lighting fast intercontinental communication systems as well as medical technologies that extend and improve patient lives. The basis for these technologies is high reliability electronics devised to meet stringent design goals and to operate consistently for many years deployed in the field. An on-going concern for engineers is the consequences of ionizing radiation exposure, specifically total dose effects. For many of the different applications, there is a likelihood of exposure to radiation, which can result in device degradation and potentially failure. While the total dose effects and the resulting degradation are a well-studied field and methodologies to help mitigate degradation have been developed, there is still a need for simulation techniques to help designers understand total dose effects within their design. To that end, the work presented here details simulation techniques to analyze as well as predict the total dose response of a circuit. In this dissertation the total dose effects are broken into two sub-categories, intra-device and inter-device effects in CMOS technology. Intra-device effects degrade the performance of both n-channel and p-channel transistors, while inter-device effects result in loss of device isolation. In this work, multiple case studies are presented for which total dose degradation is of concern. Through the simulation techniques, the individual device and circuit responses are modeled post-irradiation. The use of these simulation techniques by circuit designers allow predictive simulation of total dose effects, allowing focused design changes to be implemented to increase radiation tolerance of high reliability electronics.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Electrical Engineering 201
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Understanding the Mechanism of Electronic Defect Suppression Enabled by Nonidealities in Atomic Layer Deposition.
Silicon germanium (SiGe) is a multifunctional material considered for quantum computing, neuromorphic devices, and CMOS transistors. However, implementation of SiGe in nanoscale electronic devices necessitates suppression of surface states dominating the electronic properties. The absence of a stable and passive surface oxide for SiGe results in the formation of charge traps at the SiGe-oxide interface induced by GeOx. In an ideal ALD process in which oxide is grown layer by layer, the GeOx formation should be prevented with selective surface oxidation (i.e., formation of an SiOx interface) by controlling the oxidant dose in the first few ALD cycles of the oxide deposition on SiGe. However, in a real ALD process, the interface evolves during the entire ALD oxide deposition due to diffusion of reactant species through the gate oxide. In this work, this diffusion process in nonideal ALD is investigated and exploited: the diffusion through the oxide during ALD is utilized to passivate the interfacial defects by employing ozone as a secondary oxidant. Periodic ozone exposure during gate oxide ALD on SiGe is shown to reduce the integrated trap density (Dit) across the band gap by nearly 1 order of magnitude in Al2O3 (<6 Ă 1010 cm-2) and in HfO2 (<3.9 Ă 1011 cm-2) by forming a SiOx-rich interface on SiGe. Depletion of Ge from the interfacial layer (IL) by enhancement of volatile GeOx formation and consequent desorption from the SiGe with ozone insertion during the ALD growth process is confirmed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) and hypothesized to be the mechanism for reduction of the interfacial defects. In this work, the nanoscale mechanism for defect suppression at the SiGe-oxide interface is demonstrated, which is engineering of diffusion species in the ALD process due to facile diffusion of reactant species in nonideal ALD
Shot noise suppression in quasi one-dimensional Field Effect Transistors
We present a novel method for the evaluation of shot noise in quasi
one-dimensional field-effect transistors, such as those based on carbon
nanotubes and silicon nanowires. The method is derived by using a statistical
approach within the second quantization formalism and allows to include both
the effects of Pauli exclusion and Coulomb repulsion among charge carriers. In
this way it extends Landauer-Buttiker approach by explicitly including the
effect of Coulomb repulsion on noise. We implement the method through the
self-consistent solution of the 3D Poisson and transport equations within the
NEGF framework and a Monte Carlo procedure for populating injected electron
states. We show that the combined effect of Pauli and Coulomb interactions
reduces shot noise in strong inversion down to 23 % of the full shot noise for
a gate overdrive of 0.4 V, and that neglecting the effect of Coulomb repulsion
would lead to an overestimation of noise up to 180 %.Comment: Changed content, 7 pages,5 figure
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