Electro-thermal analytical model and simulation of the self-heating effects in multi-finger 4H-SiC power MESFETs

A three-dimensional (3D) electro-thermal analytical model to accurately predict the temperature distribution in multi-finger silicon carbide (SiC) based high-power field-effect transistors has been proposed. The results of the analytical and numerical investigation of self-heating effects have also been presented. The analytical results are well supported by the two-dimensional electro-thermal simulation results obtained by Atlas. The models give an approximate but explicit influence on temperature distribution in terms of the structure parameter and operation condition, such as the gate-to-gate pitch, the thickness of the substrate and the source-drain bias. The obtained results can be used for optimization of the thermal design of the multi-finger 4H-SiC power MESFETs.