Impact of switching frequencies on the TID response of SiC power MOSFETs

Different switching frequencies are required when SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are switching in a space environment. In this study, the total ionizing dose (TID) responses of SiC power MOSFETs are investigated under different switching frequencies from 1 kHz to 10 MHz. A significant shift was observed in the threshold voltage as the frequency increased, which resulted in premature failure of the drain–source breakdown voltage and drain–source leakage current. The degradation is attributed to the high activation and low recovery rates of traps at high frequencies. The results of this study suggest that a targeted TID irradiation test evaluation method can be developed according to the actual switching frequency of SiC power MOSFETs. (articles)