!free! | Semiconductor Power Devices Physics Characteristics Reliability

Unipolar devices (e.g., MOSFET, Schottky diode) conduct via majority carriers only, leading to a positive temperature coefficient of resistance. Bipolar devices (e.g., BJT, IGBT, p-i-n diode) inject minority carriers into the drift region during forward conduction. This creates a plasma of electrons and holes, dramatically reducing the on-resistance (the conductivity modulation effect). The penalty is stored charge, causing a reverse recovery current during switching.

The performance of a power device is defined by several key parameters: Blocking Voltage and On-Resistance ( Unipolar devices (e

RDS(on)cap R sub cap D cap S open paren o n close paren end-sub Unipolar devices (e.g.