High Current Gate Drive Circuit with High Temperature Potential for SiC MOSFET Module

With the development of SiC technology, current rating of the latest SiC MOSFET module goes up to 300A and the gate charge becomes higher than 1000nC, which demands a high gating current to drive the power module. To explore the high current and high temperature (HT) potentials of the SiC MOSFET module, a gate driver circuit with high output current and HT capability is developed. In this paper, particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the output buffer circuits, including the BJT push-pull, CMOS push-pull and the proposed BJT-CMOS hybrid circuits. Commercially available HT components are used in the design and fabrication of the proposed circuit. The design principles of the circuit are investigated by PSpice simulation and room temperature testing first. Then, the HT experimental testing is performed to verify the full capabilities of the design. The HT experimental testing is performed both on a hotplate of 300 degrees C and in a thermal chamber of 175 degrees C.