Avalanche Robustness of SiC MPS Diodes

Silicon carbide merged pin-Schottky (MPS) diodes are predestined to withstand high avalanche energies due to deep implanted p+-regions within the active area of the device. This paper shows unclamped-inductive-switching (UIS) measurements at state-of-the-art 650 V and 1200 V diodes of MPS type at different conditions, e.g. at Infineon's G5 SiC Schottky diodes. The dependency of the avalanche energy versus the applied inductance is studied in detail and the minimum of this characteristic is explained. Robust and weak diode designs are compared. Repetitive avalanche tests at challenging conditions show the robustness of the used MPS design. First studies at SiC MOSFETs show also a comparatively high avalanche capability