Study of the packaging effect on blocking voltage of power devices during durability test
We investigated why the blocking voltages of a power device are lowered during a durability test through a device simulation called Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) and measurements using the optical beam induced current (OBIC) method. We found that the spread of the depletion layer caused by the bonding wire is what decreased the blocking voltage.
A new edge termination technique to improve voltage blocking capability and reliability of field limiting ring for power devices
A planar edge termination technique of trenched field limiting ring is investigated by using 2-dimensional numerical analysis and simulation. The better voltage blocking capability and reliability can be obtained by trenching the field-limiting ring site which would be implanted. The trench etch step makes the junction depth deeper so that junction curvature effect and surface breakdown are less happened. The numerical analyses reveal two facts that the trenched field limiting ring has smaller maximum electric field and the electric field peak is deeper from the substrate surface, hence silicon dioxide layer can be protected. Therefore the voltage blocking capability and reliability of the new structure can be improved. The simulated results for 1700 V power devices by using TMA MEDICI show that the trenched field limiting ring can have smaller critical electric field and accomplish near 30% increase of breakdown voltage in comparison with the conventional structure. The proposed structure is more efficient to support voltage and more easy to gain the optimized design. Moreover, the fabrication of trenched field-limiting ring is relatively simple because the trench etch step uses the same mask of p+ field-ring implantation step. Extensive device simulations as well as qualitative analyses confirm these conclusions.
EFFECT OF SAMPLE PREPARATION ON WATER TREE RESISTANCE OF XLPE/SEBS BLENDS
The effects of an aromatic polymer, such as poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)b-styrene] (SEBS), and its preparation processes on water tree resistance, morphology, crystallinity, dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE)/SEBS and XLPE/SEBS/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blends were investigated. The XLPE/SEBS samples were characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, dielectric spectral analysis and the accelerated water treeing experiment. The results clearly showed that although SEBS was partially compatible with LDPE and it was dispersed evenly in XLPE matrix, the blends demonstrated excellent dielectric performances, such as dielectric constant and dissipation factor. The crystallinity of XLPE/SEBS blends was decreased with increase in SEBS content and it was further decreased with the addition of EVA. SEBS could effectively improve the water-tree resistance of XLPE and both SEBS and EVA were found to improve the water tree resistance of XLPE synergistically as expected. The differences in sample preparation processes could change the phase morphology and dielectric performance of the blends, and could also influence the dispersion of SEBS in XLPE matrix as well as the crystallinity of the blends. Different preparation processes led to different water tree resistance behaviours of the samples. The improvement of SEBS dispersion in XLPE matrix helped to improve the water tree resistance of XLPE.