Simulation Study of IGCT with Backside P-N Anode for Low Turn-Off Loss

A reverse-blocking integrated gate-commutated thyristor (RB-IGCT) incorporating a backside PN junction, referred to as PN-RBIGCT, is proposed and investigated using Sentaurus TCAD. The introduction of the PN junction establishes a reverse electric field in the anode region during turn-off, which accelerates carrier extraction and reduces switching losses. At a conduction current of 5 kA, a 40.4% reduction in turn-off energy loss (from 335.6 J to 200.0 J) is achieved, with only a moderate increase in the on-state voltage drop of the PN-RBIGCT from 1.44 V to 1.62 V.