Emerging trends in OBIC characterization technique for Wide Bandgap semiconductor devices

Wide-bandgap semiconductors, like silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and diamond (C), outperform silicon (Si) based power electronic devices. However, the peripheral protection of these wide-bandgap devices needs to be carefully designed to handle high voltage. This article demonstrates the potential of using the OBIC (Optical Beam Induced Current) technique to analyze different protection methods’ effectiveness and provide feedback to device designers regarding peripheral termination efficiency.At the beginning, the article presents a theoretical approach to introduce the OBIC method. Subsequently, the electro-optical characterization technique is applied to high-voltage power devices within a vacuum chamber, enabling the examination of the electric field’s spatial distribution in the semiconductor. The focus is on SiC devices due to their availability. Throughout the years, this technique has evolved, with advancements made in reducing spot size and enhancing sample placement precision. The article will also showcase new results obtained from components with new-generation peripheral protection.