Cuernavaca, M ~ X I C O October 14 - 17

IGBT MODELLING USING HSPICE

Li. Zhang ~epartment Electronic and Electrical of Engineering, University of Bradford Bradford, England

W. Shepherd Department of Electrical Engineering Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA

AG

This paper discusses a simple method for IGBT Modelling, which requires only circuit element parameters and does not involve the user in implementing mathematical equations. The structure of the model is comprised of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) combined with a metal oxide field effect/transistor (MOSFET). The parameters are estimated using an optimization algorithm in HSPICE and the device test data. Results showing a close fit of model output to the experimental data are presented.
1.

circuits of various power ratings and with different types of semiconductor switches,

2.
3.

requiring users to implement the least number of mathematical equations, demanding only circuit characteristics parameters from the users, and giving accurate yet fast convergence simulation for both dynamic and static operations of the circuits.

4.

Introduction SPICE, as one of the most general and powerful circuit analysis programs, satisfies the above requirements. Although in the past two decades it has been used primarily for analysing microelectric circuits its latest versions incorporate models of some power devices, such as the power MOSFET and BJT, making it feasible for simulating certain power electronic circuits. However, as a relatively new power device, a model for IGBT has not hitherto been available in SPICE. Hefner et a1 have developed a physics-based IGBT model suitable for implementation in SPICE(2,3). This model, however, consists of a set of complicated state equations and requires the values of various parameters relating to the physical layout of a specific device, which are difficult to obtain by circuit designers. In addition, the level of difficulty is increased when the IGBT interacts with external circuits. Alternatively, a simple equivalent circuitbased model has been reported which can be implemented in PSPICE(4). This also relies on a user input of device physics-based parameters, which is not realistic. This paper presents a different approach to SPICE-based lGBT modelling. Using the basic equivalent circuit structure, the
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0-7803-3633-4/96/$5.00" 1996 IEEE

Recently the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) has been increasingly used in low to medium power converters, replacing the more traditional BJT. This is due to its much superior conduction characteristics, compared with the power MOSFET, while maintaining the simple low-power gate drive requirements and many other appealing features of the MOSFET. Indeed the IGBT has the combined advantages of a power MOSFET and a BJT, making it attractive for high switching frequencies (up to 20 kHz) and high current applications. When designing an IGBT-based power converter the application engineers may analyse the converter behaviour using the well known computer circuit simulation package known as Simulation Program with Integrated Circuited Emphasis or SPICE''). The features of SPICE, from the circuit designers' point of view, may be summarised as follows;

1.

providing a wide range of power device models, thus enabling the simulation of

I GBT

collector

epitaxial layer

collector

I GET

(a)

Figure 1 (a) Single cell of an N-cllanne IGBT

model is composed of discrete switching devices and elementary components. The parameters of the model are estimated by an optimisation algorithm existing in HSPICE so long as the circuit characteristic data is provided. The advantages of this method are that it is simple to use, easy to understand and requires no device physics-based parameters from the user, hence it is appealing to circuit design engineers.

(b) Equivalent circuit

3.

TGBT Modellinp iisinp HSPICE

ZGBT Eauivalent Circuit Model using HSPICE

Figure I(a) shows the structure of an n-channel PT (punch-through) cell device, typically used in this work. Except for the presence of a pt layer, it is quite similar to a vertically double diffused MOSFET. However, the physical operation of an IGBT is closer to that of a bipolar transistor than to a power MOSFET. This is due to the additional p + substrate which causes minority carrier injection into the n drift region and hence effectively reduces the resistance of the n substrate. The conduction power losses of an IGBT device are thereby significantly lower than those of an equivalent power MOSFET, while the low power gate drive and high switching frequency capability are retained.

The UNIX-based HSPICE is the Meta-Software Inc. industrial grade circuit analyser for the simulation of electrical circuits in the steady-state, transient and frequency It incorporates features from Berkeley SPICE and other circuit analysis programs as well as enhancements and support developed at Meta-Software. The basic HSPTCE program is compatible with most SPICE variations and some of its additional features are particularly attractive. These incl ride superior convergence, accurate modelling with many foundry models included and a circuit optimiser for models and cells with incremental or simultaneous optimisation in AC, DC and transient analysis. To create an IGBT model in HSPICE, the equivalent circuit model, Figure l(b), is used as the basic structure. Suitable BJT and MOSFET models from the HSPICE Library are selected and their parameters are estimated by using the circuit optiiniser in HSPlCE and measured device test data. The circuit optiiniser is a curve-fit optimisation algorithm. By comparing the output from the HSPICE simulation and the experimental data, it attempts to find the best possible value of the parameters such that the model versus-data error

function is minimised. The accuracy of the model, dictated by the error function, is dependent mainly on three features: 1. an adequate device model structure, selecting a suitable set of parameters to be optimised, and specifying adequate variation ranges of these parameters.
v,

I 6ov.
l-7
vcc =

2.

3.

Since the model structure is fixed to be that of the equivalent circuit shown in Figure l(b), it depends directly on the MOSFET and BJT models selected from the HSPICE library and their element parameters. Two different MOSFET models are supported by HSPICE; namely the n-channel (NMOS) and the p-Channel (PMOS). As the IGBT to be modelled is an n-channel device, NMOS is the natural choice. Moreover there are many different levels of MOSFET models in HSPICE depending upon the mathematical equations used. Level 1 is the most basic MOSFET model to describe the static breakdown collector-emitter voltage (BCE) characteristic of a MOSFET, developed by Shichman and Hodges(6). This model, though simple in structure, may not give the accurate transient response since it sets constant values to the three capacitors associated with the three MOSFET charges, associated with the gate-oxiesemiconductor interface, the drain and source diffusions which dictate the dynamic behaviour. Other models, such as those specified as level 2 and level 3, assume the above three charges to be voltage-dependent and hence the associated capacitors are charging in the three respective regions of operation; namely cutoff, saturation and linear operation. Inevitably the structures of these models are more complex hence demanding more computer time to calculate than that required by a level 1 model. For an IGBT-based circuit the response of the external circuit may dominate the transient characteristics. The transient behaviour of an IGBT due to the capacitor charging process inay be insignificant so that the level 1 model is selected here.

(a) Clamped R-L load

-I

Vcc = 30 V.

esistive loa
Figure 2 Test circuits
adaptation of the integral charge control model of Gummel and Peon"). The model can be NPN or PNP and its normalised geometric specification may be vertical or lateral. For modelling an n-channel IGBT the PNP and vertical geometry are selected.

In terms of a mathematical description there is only Once the model structure is determined the one type of BJT model in HSPICE, being an OptimiSatiOn procedure in HSPICE can be used to
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those of the original target. However, as in this case, the structure of the IGBT model is based upon combining two devices and the parameters originally used to represent either the BJT or MOSFET DC, AC or transient characteristics may not converge to their nominal range of values due to limitations of the curve-fitting procedure. This results in an intricate task to select the ranges and initial values of the parameters. Experience shows that this problem can be tackled by running the optimisation algorithm a number of times, using the estimated parameters of the previous run as the initial setting for the next run. This, inevitably, increases the simulation time and is only applied when the user has no knowledge of the ranges of parameter values. To use the optimiser a user is required to create an input file containing all the Note that, for some of the parameters in Table 1, information discussed above, which may be their variations of IGBT behaviour are trivial and summarised as follows: can thus be assigned constant values. This, in turn, reduces the number of parameters to be identified, a list of parameters to be optimised hence facilitating the optimisation procedure. The upper and lower limits of these parameters accuracy and simulation time are also improved. initial guess of the selected parameter values a data file extracted from a measured curve circuit topology of the device model and the Test results show that for the parameters in Group 1, give (bf, nf, rc, ibc, ibe) for the BJT and five test circuit optimisation target, e.g. model-versus-data (vto, kp, lambda, rs, gamma) for the MOSFET need to be estimated, the other parameters in the error tolerance table being set to their default values. Details of the parameters of Table 1 are available in the 4. Experimental and Simulated Results HSPICE User Manual''). To increase the likelihood of a convergent solution To examine the effectiveness of the simple IGBT and reduce the simulation time the initial estimates model, tests were performed on the device IGBT of the parameter values and their ranges of variation IRGBC 30F manufactured by HEXFET@).Two test should be properly specified. In principle, the circuits are shown in Figure 2, one for supplying a specification should produce a circuit similar to resistive load, the other for a clamped R-Lload.

estimate the parameters governing the conduction and switching behaviour of an IGBT device. For BJT and MOSFET models in HSPICE more than 100 Parameters are used, although only a small proportion O f these has significant effects On the conduction and switching characteristics. These Parameters may be classified into two groups on the basis of their influences on the IGBT characteristics and are listed in Table 1. For parameters in Group 1, their values are estilnated by the HSPICE optimisation routine when experimental data from linear response tests are available, whereas those in Group 2 are identified through using transient response data. Definitions of the various parameters listed in Table 1 are given in the Appendix 1.

Table 1. Parameters used i the Optimisation n

BJT
I

MOSFET
I

1. Parameters which affect

conduction characteristics
I

is, bf, nf, nc, vaf,

ne, rc, ibc, ibe
I

vto, kp, rs, phi lambda, gamma cgdo, cgso, cgbo

2. Parameters which affect switching character ist ics

cjc, fc, cje, mjc, tf, itf, xtf, vtf

Vge=lOV

0.1

cl.

cf ,-v-p
-

2
-

4
- IC from optimisation IC from the data sheet

10

Vce

(V)

ure 3 Linear V-I characteristics of the I compared with that from the device data sheet
Input files used in the optimisation procedure to derive the model of the device are listed in Appendix 2. The IGBT model consisting of optimised parameters is defined as the subcircuit file. This IGBT subcircuit can then be used to simulate the switching-test circuits. The effectiveness of this model was verified by investigating the switching characteristics under the same load conditions as that of the test device. Figure 3 shows the good agreement of the model steady-state collector current I, versus V,, for increasing gate-emitter voltage V,,, compared with the device data sheet.
I

Switching of the simulated waveforms obtained from the HSPIcE were compared with the oscillograms from the test circuits. Figs 4, 5, for example, show the collector-emitter voltage V,, at turnrespectively for the test circuit of Figure 2(a). The experimental and simulated results are closely similar in form. The high turn-off overshoots of V,, displayed on both waveforms are due to the circuit feature that the load inductance value is high and the recovery speed of the power diode BY233/600V, at 150 ns, is not significantly faster than that of the IGBT turn-off transient.

Vce

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 4 Collector-Emitter voltage waveforms for IGBT IRGBC30F switching off a clamped R-L load (measured waveform in heavy print)
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Vce (V)

1 2o

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 5 Collector-Emitter voltage waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching on a clamped R-L load (measured waveform in heavy print)

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 6 Collector current waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching off a clamped R-Lload (measured waveform in heavy print)

Figure 4 Collector current waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching on a clamped R-Lload (measured waveform in heavy print)
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Waveforms of the collector current I, at turn-off with an R-L load are given in Figure 6 and show a good agreement between the forms of the experimenta1 and model outputs. Fig.7 presents waveforms for corresponding turn-on characteristics. It can be seen in Fig.6 that the collector-emitter voltage V,, of the inodel output matches closely that of the test circuit in both transient and steady states. The variation pattern and amplitude of the collector current I, of the model also agrees with that of the experimental results, as shown in Figure 7. Corresponding results with resistive load are shown in Figures 8 to 11 and good agreement between the experimental output and the simulation data is observed. 5. Concliisions
A technique of IGBT modelling based on HSPICE, using a parameter optimisation method, is shown to give results that compare well with corresponding experimental performance. The optimisation procedure automatically generates a set of device parameters from a given electrical specification or from measured data. The output from a simulation is compared with characteristic-curve data using a curve-fit optimisation and iteration proceeds to minimise the error function.

2. Insulated Gate Transistor Physics: Modelling and Optimisation of the On-State Characteristics H. Yilmaz, W.R. Van Dell, K. Owyang, M.F. Chang; IEEE Trans on Electron Devices, Vol. ED32, No. 12, 1985, pp. 2812-2817. 3 . Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (TGBT) Modelling Using IG Spice C.S. Mitter, A.R. Hefner, D.U. Chen, F.C.
k e

References

1.

SPICE for Power Engineers M.H. Rashid Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, 1993.
Vce (V)
. . . .

IEEE Trans. on Industry Applications, Vol IA-30, NO. 1, 1993, pp. 24-33. 4,New lGBT Model for PSPICE F.F. Protiwa, 0. Apeldoorn, N. Gross Proc. European Power Electronics Association Conf., EPE 93, Brighton, England, Sept. 1993, pp. 226-231. 5. HSPICE User Manual, H9001, Meta Software Inc., Campbell, California, USA, 1991. 6.Modelling and Simulation of Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor Switching Circuits H. Shichman, H.C. Poon IEEE Journal, Vol. SC-3, 1968, pp 285288. 7 , A n Integral Charge - Control Model of Bipolar Transistors H.K. Gummel, H.C. Poon Bell System Technical Journals Vol 49, 1970, pp 827-852. 8..IGBT Designers Manual, International Rectifier, Corp., California, USA, 1991.

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. . .

3020

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 .o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 8 Collector-Emitter voltage waveforms for IGBT IRGBC30F switching off a resistive load (measured waveform in heavy print)

Vce (V)

I
8 -

1
. I -

-,-

,-

. . .

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 .o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 9 Collector-Emitter voltage waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching on a resistive load (measured waveform in heavy print)

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 10 Collector current waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching off a resistive load (measured waveform in heavy print)

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.o

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Time (us)

Figure 11 Collector current waveforms for IGBT IRGBC3OF switching on a resistive load (measured waveform in heavy print)
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APPENDIX

Parameter Descriptions and Default Values Name is bf

nf

unit amp

1
I

Default le-16
100

Description Transport saturation current Ideal maximum forward BETA Forward current emission coefficient B-C leakage emission coefficient

Name

unit volt 1/v

Ohm

Default

Description Zero-bias threshold voltage

vto
lambda rs

0
0

Channel-length modulation Source ohmic resistance Surface potential

nc ne vaf rc ibc ibe volt

Ohm

volt

0.576

1.5

B-E leakage emission coefficient Forward early voltage Collector resistance B-C Reverse saturation current B-E Reverse saturation current cgdo Flm
0.527

00

AV JZ

2.07e-5

Intrinsic Transconductance

0
0

Body effect factor Gate-drain overlap capacitance per channel width Gate-source overlap capacitance per channel width Gate-bulk overlap capacitance per channel length

cjc

B-C Zero-bias depletion capacitance

cgso

Flm

cje

B-E Zero-bias depletion capacitance

cgbo

F/m

fc

0.5
0.33

Coefficient for forward bias capacitance B-C junction exponent Base forward transit time

tf

itf xtf
vtf

0
0
m

TF high-current parameter

TF bias dependent coefficient

TF B-C voltage dependence coefficient

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APPENDIX 2 Listing of input files used for optimisation

$ transfer curve optiisation

.OPTION nomod nopage post =2 dcap = 1 new absi= le-9 reli=le-5 relv=le-4 absmos= le-8 relmos= le-5 .MODEL optmod OPT itropt=30 close=.06 *. ..circuit.. . vce 20 0 vce vge 10 0 vge xigbt 20 10 0 IRGBC30F

*...the model.. . .SUBCKT IRGB30F 11 22 33 rim 11 55 le-4 qcomp 33 44 55 itrans .MODEL itrans pnp subs=l is=126u nc=2 ne=.5 cjc=SOOp cje=330p f c = l $ tf=30n itf=2 xtf=l vtf=le4 ************* ... BJT optimised parameters.. .* * ****** ** * ********* * bf=bf nf=nf rc=rc ibc=ibc ibe=ibe

+ +

mcomp 44 22 33 33 most .MODEL mosf nmos cgdo= .4u cgso= .2u phi= 1Om +fc=l $ js=le-8 mjsw=O.3 cox=4e-4 ** * * * * * ******. ..MOSFET optimised parameters.. .** ******** * * ********* vto=vto kp=kp lambda=lambda rs=rs gamma=gamma

.ENDS IRGBC30F * PARAM $. .BJT.. + bf = optl(4.88, 4 3 + nf= opt1(3.38,2.5,7) $ +vaf= opt1(1950k, 1000k, 2000k) +rc = opt1(48.2Sm, 35m, 60m) +ibc= optl(450~1, 3SOu, SSOu) +ibe=optl(lOu, Su, 2511) $..mosfet.. vto =opt l(4.467, 3.5, 6.5) +kp=optl(922.2m, 60Om, 1.2) +lamda = optl(3u, 1.Su,4u) + gamma = optl(6.47, 4,lO) rs =opt1(64.8m), 40m, 8Om) *. .optimisation sweep.. .DC DATA=CE optimize=optl results=compl model=optmod .MEAS DC comp 1 ERR1 par(ice)i(xigbt.rins)minval= le-OS ignor= le-06 .DC DATA=CE .PRINT DC vce =par(vce) vge =par(vge) iop =i(xigbt.rins) ic =par(ice) *. ..data. .. .PARAM vce=O vge=O ice=O .DATA CE vce vge ice

.ENDDATA .END
$DATA1 SOURCE= HSPICE version= 9007A .title $ TRANSFER CURVE OPTIMISATION

INDEX bf nf rc ibc ibe vto kp lambda gamma rs compl temper alter#

169