PSPICE modeling of Silicon Carbide MOSFETS and device parameter extraction

Abstract

The goal of this research is to develop device models for Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. Parameters are extracted and used to create PSPICE models that can be utilized for circuit simulation. Two silicon carbide power MOSFETs made available by CREE Semiconductor are considered. The first silicon carbide power MOSFET tested is the CMF20120A64410. This MOSFET features a 1200V drain-to-source breakdown voltage and 30A continuous current capacity. The second device tested is an experimental MOSFET that is still not available in the market as of the date of this paper. The experimental MOSFET features a 1200V drain-to-source breakdown voltage and 80A continuous current capability. Custom made circuits are developed for extracting some of the parameters. In some cases where the tests only require low drain current, a HP B1505A curve tracer is used to aid the development of the model. The effect of temperature over the gate threshold voltage is also investigated. By externally increasing and monitoring the die temperature of the SiC MOSFETs, new device parameters can be extracted and modeled. Once the parameters are extracted they are converted into a PSPICE model. The model is tested and compared to the real device to verify accuracy. This is achieved using custom switching circuits with both inductive and resistive loads and software suites like MATLAB.