Behaviour of IGBT modules in zero-voltage-switch applications

A zero-voltage switching (ZVS) test circuit for power semiconductor devices in which these devices are stressed in a similar way as in a resonant DC link inverter is presented. Different types of 50 A insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules (fast switching type and low saturation type) were investigated under hard switching and soft switching conditions. The turn-off behaviour and the power dissipated in the modules were measured using different resonant frequencies in the ZVS test circuit. By using ZVS, the switching energy can be reduced by a factor of approximately 9 for the fast switching device and by a factor of approximately 6 for the low saturation device compared to the hard-switched case.<>