Cryogenic Operation of Silicon Power Devices (Power Electronics and Power Systems) - Hardcover

Singh, Ranbir; Baliga, B. Jayant

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792381572 ISBN 13: 9780792381570

Publisher: Springer, 1998

Synopsis

The advent of low temperature superconductors in the early 1960's converted what had been a laboratory curiosity with very limited possibilities to a prac­ tical means of fabricating electrical components and devices with lossless con­ ductors. Using liquid helium as a coolant, the successful construction and operation of high field strength magnet systems, alternators, motors and trans­ mission lines was announced. These developments ushered in the era of what may be termed cryogenic power engineering and a decade later successful oper­ ating systems could be found such as the 5 T saddle magnet designed and built in the United States by the Argonne National Laboratory and installed on an experimental power generating facility at the High Temperature Institute in Moscow, Russia. The field of digital computers provided an incentive of a quite different kind to operate at cryogenic temperatures. In this case, the objective was to ob­ tain higher switching speeds than are possible at ambient temperatures with the critical issue being the operating characteristics of semiconductor switches under cryogenic conditions. By 1980, cryogenic electronics was established as another branch of electric engineering.

About this title

Synopsis:

This is a comprehensive resource of power device electrical characteristics in a cryogenic environment. Using theoretical and experimental knowledge, temperature dependence of fundamental silicon material parameters like intrinsic carrier concentration, carrier mobilities, lifetimes and bandgap narrowing was identified. The temperature dependent model of avalanche breakdown was developed using experimental data on numerous devices. A wide range of power devices, each with its own unique features, was chosen for theoretical and experimental analysis. Using these analyses, Schottky diodes, power MOSFETs, power BJTs, and power JFETs were optimized in the 300-77K temperature range. This text presents the different characteristics of power devices operated below -55`C (220K). It provides data and physics based models for power devices operated at temperatures down to 77K in a single source. All commercially available devices have been included to provide comprehensive coverage. Also, a fundamental analysis of devices identifies the suitability of various devices to applications requiring cryogenic operations.

A quantitative analysis of the relative strengths and weaknesses of these devices is also presented.

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0792381572
• ISBN 13: 9780792381570
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 166