Milliseconds Power Cycling (PCmsec) driving bipolar degradation in Silicon Carbide Power Devices

Silicon carbide (SiC) power products may experience voltage degradation which stems from the stacking faults (SFs) growth, commonly known as bipolar degradation (BD). To properly evaluate the BD impact on the electric performance of devices it is important to distinguish it from other stress-related degradation e.g., power metal or interconnection. This aspect has not yet been addressed, although the BD mechanism is well understood [1–3]. This work outlines a methodology by modifying the power cycling test (PCsec) to PCmsec to systematically investigate the effect of BD while controlling the impact of thermal degradation. This approach enables a thorough evaluation of the distinct influences of both degradation contributors.