Cosmic radiation-induced failure mechanism of high voltage IGBT

Abstract

Ionizing radiation-induced current pulses for IGBTs are longer and higher compared to diodes of the same voltage rating. Device simulations based on a recently developed physical model show that this is effected by a current amplification mechanism resulting from the inherent parasitic BJT structures of the IGBT. We investigate whether current amplification also affects the hardness against cosmic radiation by analyzing the failure rates and comparing them with the respective diode.