EVALUATION OF MODERN POWER SEMICONDUCTOR-DEVICES AND FUTURE-TRENDS OF CONVERTERS

Power semiconductor devices that constitute the heart of modern power electronics have been undergoing dynamic evolution in recent years. Never before in the history of power semiconductor devices have we seen the emergence of so many exotic devices in such a short span of time. This paper reviews the modern power semiconductor devices that appeared in 1980's, i.e., the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), static induction transistor (SIT), static induction thyristor (SITH), and the recently introduced MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT). The characteristics of these devices have been discussed and compared from the viewpoint of power electronics applications. Although the IGBT is well known, the power electronics community is somewhat unfamiliar with the latter three devices. For completeness, a brief review of other power devices, such as the thyristor, triac, gate turn-off thyristor (GTO), bipolar transistor (BJT), and power MOSFET has also been incorporated. Finally, a perspective of future converter trends has been outlined.