Effects of Breakdown Voltage on Single-Event Burnout Tolerance of High-Voltage SiC Power MOSFETs

Ion- and terrestrial neutron-induced single-event burnout (SEB) data indicate that a thicker, more lightly doped epitaxial (epi) region significantly increases the threshold at which ion-induced SEB occurs in silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs and junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes. Simulations indicate that the reduction of power dissipation along the core of the ion track is responsible for the increased robustness of the devices that have higher breakdown voltage ratings. Implications for circuit design show that using a 3300-V power MOSFET provides a significant increase in SEB threshold margin compared to a 1200-V MOSFET, with minor impact on power dissipation during normal operation.