Computer model simulation of SiC diode reverse-bias instabilities due to deep energy impurity levels

We performed numerical simulations of the transient response of reverse-biased silicon carbide (SiC) diodes to fast voltage pulses, based on a drift-diffusion transport model. Our results reveal that SiC material containing "deep defects" can lead to high device currents and internal heating. This could potentially be detrimental to device stability and lead to premature device breakdown. The minority electrons within P-regions containing deep levels are shown to play an important role. These results suggest that defect control and suppression of deep states will be crucial for the successful development of stable SiC devices for high-power applications.