Unit II – Introduction to Power

Semiconductor Devices
Power Dissipation in a Generic Power Semiconductor Switch
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
is generic in nature
• Same basic factors governing power dissipation apply to
all devices in the same manner
• The converter designer must understand
• What these factors which govern power dissipation are?
• How to minimize the power dissipation in the devices?
• To consider power dissipation in a semiconductor
device,
• A controllable switch is connected in the simple circuit
shown in Fig.
• This circuit models a very commonly encountered
situation in power electronics
• The current flowing through a switch also must flow through
some series inductances
• This circuit is like the circuit used in switch-mode power
electronic circuits
 Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• The dc current source
• approximates the current that would flow due to inductive
energy storage
• The diode is assumed to be ideal
• Because our focus is on the switch characteristics
• In practice the diode reverse-recovery current can
significantly affect the stresses on the switch
• When the switch is on,
• Entire current I0 flows through the switch and the diode is
reverse biased.
• When the switch is turned off, I, flows through the diode
and a voltage equal to the input voltage Vd appears across
the switch
• Assuming a zero voltage drop across the ideal diode.
• Initially it is assumed that switch has been off for a
while
• It is turned on by applying a positive control signal to the
switch
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• Figure shows the
waveforms for
• current through the switch
• voltage across the switch
• when it is being operated at a
switching frequency of
fS = 1/TS
• TS being the switching period
• Initially it is assumed that
switch has been off for a
while
• It is turned on by applying a
positive control signal to the
switch as shown in the figure
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• Initially it is assumed that switch
has been off for a while
• It is turned on by applying a positive
control signal to the switch as shown
in the figure
• During the turn-on transition of this
generic switch,
• the current buildup consists of a
short delay time td(on)
• followed by the current rise time tri
• Only after the current I0 flows
entirely through the switch
• the diode become reverse biased
• the switch voltage fall to a small
on-state value of Von
• with a voltage fall time of tfv
• The waveforms in Fig. indicate that
• large values of switch voltage and
current are present simultaneously
during the turn-on crossover
interval tc(on), where
• tc(on) = tri + tfv
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• The energy dissipated in the
device during this turn-on
transition can be approximated
from Fig. as
• Wc(on) = ½VdIotc(on)
• No energy dissipation occurs
during the turn-on delay interval
td(on)
• Once the switch is fully on,
• On-state voltage Von
• will be on the order of a volt or so
depending on the device
• It will be conducting a current I0
• Switch remains in conduction
during the on-interval ton
• which in general is much larger
than the turn-on and turn-off
transition times.
• The energy dissipation Won in the
switch during this on-state interval
can be approximated as
• Won = VonIoton
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• To turn the switch off,
• A negative control signal is applied to the
control terminal of the switch.
• During the turn-off transition period of the
generic switch,
• Voltage build-up consists of a turn-off
delay time td(off)
• Voltage rise time trv
• Once the voltage reaches its final value of
Vd
• Diode can become forward biased and
• begin to conduct current
• The current in the switch falls to zero with
a current fall time tri as the current
• I0 cornmutates from the switch to the diode
• Large values of switch voltage and switch
current occur simultaneously during the
crossover interval tc(off)
• tc(off) = trv + tfi
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• The energy dissipated in
the device during this
turn-off transition can be
approximated from Fig.
as
• Wc(off) = ½VdIotc(off)
• Any energy dissipation
during the turn-off delay
interval td(off) is ignored
• since it is small
compared to Wc(off)
Power dissipation in semiconductor power devices
• The instantaneous power dissipation pT(t) = vTiT, plotted in Fig. makes it clear that a large instantaneous
power dissipation occurs in the switch during the turn-on and turn-off intervals.
• There are fs such turn-on and turn-off transitions per second.
• Hence the average switching power loss PS in the switch due to these transitions can be approximated as
• PS = ½VdIo fS(tc(on) + tc(off))
• It shows that the switching power loss in a semiconductor switch
• varies linearly with the switching frequency and the switching times.
• therefore, if devices with short switching times are available,
• it is possible to operate at high switching frequencies to reduce filtering requirements and
• at the same time keep the switching power loss in the device from being excessive

• The other major contribution to the power loss in the switch is the average power dissipated during the on-state
Pon which varies in proportion to the on-state voltage
• Pon = VonI0 ton / TS
• which shows that the on-stage voltage in a switch should be as small as possible
Summary