Driving Power Semiconductor Devices : Context

CSCPs (power semiconductor components) enable ever more reliable and high-performance switch functions.

To manage and modulate the exchange of electrical energy via power electronic converters, each CSCP or group of CSCPs requires a dedicated close control circuit (also known as a gate driver) to control its state (blocked or open) and optimize transitions during state changes (blocking and opening switching).

Close control circuits thus include, as a minimum, a static and dynamic control stage for the CSCP(s) control interface. Other complementary functions can be integrated or combined to observe, protect and, more generally, guarantee reliable, optimal operation of the CSCP(s). A specific feature of CSCPs is that they operate under switching conditions, with severe constraints on the environment of the CSCP and the close control circuit: in particular, the latter must adapt to high potentials and rapid variations in voltages and currents. The assembly of the CSCPs to their close environment is also critical, from their close control, with the CSCPs forming one or more switching cells, to their cooling circuit. The CSCP environment is just as important as its intrinsic performance, making it possible to offer an adapted and optimized solution to the classic compromises in power electronics (thermal, electromagnetic compatibility, efficiency, power density, reliability).

On the other hand, new large-gap materials (such as SiC and GaN) and other breakthroughs in silicon power transistor architectures are pushing back traditional constraints and compromises. This is particularly the case with rising voltages, higher frequencies and higher switching speeds, as well as breakthroughs in converter structures (interleaved architectures, series/parallel combinations). Power semiconductor components and their peripherals must continue to evolve in order to further improve the energy efficiency, operating safety, reliability and compactness of static converters.

Depending on the power semiconductor technology under consideration and its environment, but also on the nature of the switching, the implementation of control functions and control possibilities may vary. For this reason, we have divided power semiconductor components into three technological families [D3231] :

• thyristors and triacs ;

• bipolar transistors and GTO thyristors...