Threshold voltage instability in SiC MOSFETs as a consequence of current conduction in their body diode

Abstract An antiparallel PiN diode is present in the structure of the SiC Power MOSFET. For simplicity, increased module current ratings, and cost reasons, it sometimes may be preferable to use this diode rather than to add an external Schottky diode to the MOSFET. However, SiC PiN diodes are sensitive to defects in the SiC crystal, and their performance can degrade rapidly. In this paper, we assess the effect of several stresses on the characteristics of a SiC MOSFET, focusing on the stresses which involve the body diode. We demonstrate that using the body diode does not degrade its performances. However, it may produce a noticeable shift in the threshold voltage of the MOSFET. While this behaviour is observed for MOSFETs from one manufacturer, it is not exhibited for others, which indicates that it may be a consequence of some particular design or manufacturing parameters.