Power Electronics

• Power Electronic Devices: Diode, Power Transistors, MOSFET,

thyristors, GTO, IGBT
• Rectifiers: Uncontrolled and controlled rectifiers, operation with
inductive loads, harmonic filtering
• Inverters: Voltage source and Current source inverters, harmonic
filtering
• DC Choppers, cyclo-converters, AC voltage controllers
• Introduction to HVDC lines, advantages and applications
 Power Transistor
• It is a fully controlled device. That means we can control the instant
of switching on and switching off.

Types of Power Transistor:

1. Power BJT
2. Power MOSFET
3. IGBT

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Power BJT
• Bipolar: Conduction is due to electrons and holes
• It has large power handling capacity compared to normal BJT.
• It offers high voltage resistance in OFF state than normal BJT.
• It offers high current handling capacity in ON state than normal BJT.
• It has a vertically oriented structure.
• High gain is maintained by enhancing doping level of emitter several times
than that of base.

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Symbol of Power BJT

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Structure of Power BJT
• In normal BJT, there is NPN structure
• In Power BJT, n+, p, n-, n+ layer
• Small base thickness gives good
amplification capability.
• It has n- region that is collector drift
region. This n- region will increase
voltage blocking capacity of power BJT.
• Higher doping n+ at collector and
emitter side that increases its higher
current handling capacity

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Modes of Power BJT
• In normal BJT, there are three
regions, cutoff, active and
saturation
• In normal BJT, there is only one
saturation region
• But in Power BJT, there are two
saturation regions:
• Quasi Saturation Region (lower
power handling capacity )
• Hard Saturation Region (higher
power handling capacity)

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VI Characteristics of Power BJT
• Input Characteristics: Input current vs
Input Voltage ( [taking constant output
voltage ()]
• Output Characteristics: Output current vs
Output Voltage () [keeping input voltage
( constant]
• Also illustrate the two KVL equations

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VI Characteristics of Power
BJT

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VI Characteristics of Power BJT
Characteristic curves for power BJT is just the same except for the little difference in its
saturation region. It has additional region of operation known as quasi-saturation.
Saturation Region
• In case of hard saturation, with little increase in , collector current increases very sharply. So
it handles higher power capacity.
• In case of quasi saturation, with little increase in , collector current increases not that sharp
as in case of hard saturation. So it handles lower power capacity.
Active Region
• With the increase in , the collector current is almost constant for the fixed base current .
• The collector current is increasing while increasing the base current.
Cut-off Region
• No collector current
• Primary Breakdown/ Secondary Breakdown
• When is greater than breakdown/breakover voltages then even if is equal or less than zero,
then starts to flow because of the breakdown phenomenon. And remains constant.
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Switching Characteristics
of Power BJT

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 Switching Characteristics of Power BJT
• As the positive base voltage is applied, base current starts to flow but the collector current does not start flowing as
soon as base drive is applied. This is because, the base-emitter junction capacitance () starts charging when base
drive is initially applied. The time required to charge this junction capacitance to 0.7 V approx. is known as
the delay time ().
• After charging the upto 0.7 volts, collector current, reaches to its steady state value. And the time required to raise
the collector current upto 90% of it’s steady state value is called rise time ().
• So the turn on time () of the BJT is equal to the sum of delay time and the rise time.

• For turning off the BJT, polarity of the base voltage is reversed and thus the base current polarity will also be
changed. But the collector current does not change for some time. This time is called storage time (). During this
period, saturating excess charges are removed from the base.
• After removal of stored charges, the base current starts reducing and collector current also starts falling. The time
required by the collector current to decay upto 10% of it’s steady state value is called fall time ().
• So the turn off time () of the BJT is equal to the sum of storage time and the fall time.

• The time during which transistor is fully in ‘turn on’ condition is called .
• The time during which transistor is fully in ‘turn off’ condition is called .
• The stored charge is removed because of the negative base current. Once the stored charge in the base region is
removed, is charged to negative base voltage and base current becomes zero. Hence the decay of the collector
current depends upon the stored charge and .
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Application of Power BJT
• Switch-mode power supply (SMPS)
• Power amplifier
• DC to AC inverters
• Relay
• Power control circuits

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Power MOSFET
• MOSFET: Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors
• Unipolar: majority carrier devices
• It has large power handling capacity compared to normal MOSFET.
• Voltage controlled device
• Vertical Structure
• Two types: depletion type, enhancement type: n-channel MOSFET, p-channel MOSFET
• N-channel enhancement type MOSFET is more common due to high mobility of electrons.
• Three terminals: Gate (G), Drain (D), Source (S)
• MOSFET has high switching speed that means the turn-on and turn-off time of MOSFET are
very small. Hence they operate at very high frequency application such as choppers and
inverters.

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Symbol of Power MOSFET
• The MOSFET can be turned on by
applying the gate to source voltage.
• The MOSFET can be turned off by
removing the gate to source voltage.
• So gate has full control over the
conduction of the MOSFET.
• During conduction period, very small
current flows from gate to source.
• Since only the gate to source voltage
is applied to turn on the MOSFET. So,
it is a voltage controlled device.
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Structure of MOSFET
• N-channel enhancement type MOSFET
• Source and drain are connected to n+
regions
• The p-type body region forms the channel
between drain and source.
• The gate is not directly connected to the
p-type region. There is a insulating Silicon
oxide () layer between gate metal and p-
type region.

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Operation of MOSFET
• When gate is made positive with respect to
source, an accumulation layer is formed in the
channel.
• Accumulation layer of electrons is generated in
the body region near oxide layer called induced
channel of electrons.
• Therefore the current Ids, starts flowing through
this induced channel from drain to source.
• If =0, then induced channel is absent and no
current flows.
• Since the channel is made up of electrons, this is
called n-channel MOSFET.
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 Operation of Power MOSFET
• Four layer structure of n-channel enhancement type
MOSFET.
• n- drift region
• The source is connected to n+ region and p-type
body region.
• The gate is isolated from p-type region and n+ region
by SiO2 layer.
• When Vgs is positive, an n-type channel is induced in
the region, hence current Ids starts flowing from
drain to source.
• Because of the drift region, the on-state voltage drop
of MOSFET increases, however, breakdown voltage
of MOSFET increases.
• Parasitic BJT: Base is the p-type body region, emitter
is the n+ region, and collector is the n- region.
• The emitter and base of this parasitic BJT are shorted
to source. Hence it does not conduct. This is the
main reason for shorting p-type body to the source.
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VI Characteristics of Power MOSFET
• Transfer Characteristics: Output current vs
Input Voltage ( [taking constant output voltage
()]
• Output Characteristics: Output current vs
Output Voltage () [keeping input voltage
( constant]
• Also illustrate the two KVL equations

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VI Characteristics of Power MOSFET

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Switching Characteristics
of Power MOSFET

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 Switching Characteristics of Power MOSFET
• As the positive gate voltage ( is applied, initially the gate to source capacitance starts charging. Because of this, there is no
drain current during this interval. The turn-on delay time is the time required to charge to threshold voltage ().
• After this voltage , the gate to source voltage (starts rising upto its steady state value. Also the drain current starts rising
upto its steady state value. The time required from the instant of to their 90% of steady state value is called rise time ().
• Hence, the turn-on time of the MOSFET is,

• After that the MOSFET is then said to have fully turned on. And this interval is called conduction time (.
• For turning off the MOSFET, polarity of the gate voltage (is made zero. After that, the gate to source voltage starts falling.
That is, discharges from overdrive to pinch-off region gate voltage. The time required for to discharge upto 90% of its
steady state value is called turn-off delay time . During this instant, the drain current also starts falling.
• The time required to from the instant of 0.9 to is called fall time ().
• Hence, the total turn-off time of the MOSFET is,

• The drain current becomes zero when . And the MOSFET is then said to have turned-off. And this interval is called off
time (.

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Application of Power MOSFET
• High frequency and low power inverters
• High frequency SMPS
• High frequency inverters and choppers
• Low power ac and dc drives

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IGBT
• IGBT: Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
• IGBT is developed by combining the best feature of both MOSFET and BJT.
• Like MOSFET, IGBT has high input impedance and free from secondary breakdown problem.
• Like BJT, IGBT has low conduction losses (on state losses) and high current handling capability.
• So, IGBT has input characteristics like MOSFET and output characteristics like BJT.
• Bipolar: Conduction is due to electrons and holes
• Voltage controlled device
• Three terminals: Gate (G), Collector (C), Emitter (E)

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Symbol of IGBT
• Whenever a voltage between gate and emitter is
applied, current flows from collector to emitter.
And the IGBT is said to be turned ‘on’. In this
case, very small gate current flows.
• Whenever a voltage between gate and emitter is
removed, IGBT turns off.
• Hence the gate signal has full control over the
conduction of IGBT.
• Hence IGBT is voltage controlled device.
• The on-state collector to emitter drop is very
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Structure of IGBT
• The structure of IGBT is similar to that of
MOSFET.
• Black color= metallic contact
• Space given is of SiO2.
• Here, the gate is not directly connected with
the internal structure. That is it is insulated
by SiO2 gas which acts as capacitance in
between semiconductor material and gate
terminal.
• Additional p+ layer: injection layer
• n- layer: drift layer
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Operation of IGBT
• When , then the channel of electrons is
formed beneath the gate. These
electrons attract holes from p+ layer.
Hence, holes are injected from p+ layer
into n- drift region. Thus hole/electron
current start flowing from collector to
emitter.
• When holes enter p-type body region,
they attract more electrons from n+
layer. This action is exactly similar to
MOSFET. However, the p+ injecting
layer makes the operation different
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Operation of IGBT

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 Operation of IGBT
• This figure 1 shows the structure of IGBT showing how the internal MOSFET and BJTs are
formed.
• The gate acts as trigger of through internally formed MOSFET.
• Figure 2 shows the equivalent circuit of IGBT. In this figure, when gate is applied ( the internal
equivalent of MOSFET is turns on. This gives base drive to
• Hence starts conducting. The collector of is base of
• Therefore also starts conducting. The collector of is base of
• Thus the regenerative loop begins and large number of carriers are injected in n- drift region. This
reduces the on-state losses of the IGBT just like BJT. This happens due to conductivity
modulation of n- drift region.
• When gate drive is remove, the induced channel will be vanished and internal equivalent
MOSFET will turn-off. Eventually and will also turned off.
• In figure 3, the value of body region resistance is neglected. In this case will never conduct.
• Thus IGBT is different from MOSFET because of conduction of current from collector to emitter.
• For MOSFET, the on state losses are high since the resistance of drift region remains same.
• But for IGBT, resistance of drift region reduces when gate drive is applied because of the p+
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injecting region. Hence on-state losses of IGBT is very small.
VI Characteristics of IGBT
• Transfer Characteristics: Output current vs
Input Voltage ( [taking constant output
voltage ()]
• Output Characteristics: Output current vs
Output Voltage () [keeping input voltage
( constant]
• Also illustrate the two KVL equations

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VI Characteristics of IGBT

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Switching Characteristics of IGBT

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Switching Characteristics of IGBT
• When the collector current starts increasing. Turn on delay, is the delay time when gate drive is
applied and starts increasing.
• When increases to its full value, starts falling. So, is the rise time of collector current () and is the
fall time of
• Thus the turn on time of IGBT is:
• To turn off the IGBT, the gate voltage is reduced. When the gate voltage falls to which is the
voltage at which IGBT comes out of saturation, then starts rising.
• When starts rising, starts falling very fast till . This fast decay is basically due to the internal
MOSFET.
• Then goes to zero and becomes negative. But keeps on flowing for some time which is the
internal BJT current. This current flows due to stored carriers in the drift region. Hence turn off
time of IGBT is higher than MOSFET.
• Thus the turn on time of IGBT is:
Where is the rise time of ,
is the fall time of MOSFET current, and
is the fall time of BJT current
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Application of IGBT
• AC motor drives (inverters)
• DC choppers
• UPS systems
• Harmonics compensators

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 Power BJT Power MOSFET IGBT
Bipolar Device Unipolar Device Bipolar Device

Current Controlled Device Voltage Controlled Device Voltage Controlled Device

The input impedance of BJT is low The input impedance of MOSFET The input impedance of IGBT is
is high high

Drive circuit =complex Drive circuit =simple Drive circuit =simple

Switching speed is in the range of Switching speed is in the range of Switching speed of IGBT is more
microseconds i.e. slow switching nanoseconds i.e. fast switching than BJT but less than MOSFET.
speed. speed.

Conduction losses are low. Conduction losses are high. Conduction losses are low.

Switching losses are high for high Switching losses are low for high Switching losses are low for high
frequency. frequency. frequency.
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Pre-tasks for the next class:
• Fourier Analysis, Odd and Even waveform
• RMS and Average Value
• Laplace Transform
• Basic electrical engineering, KVL KCL

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