What is a IGBT?

IGBT stands for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor. The initials of IGBT are taken from "Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor", and the structure of IGBT is a PNP-type bipolar transistor with a P-type semiconductor added to the MOSFET. In other words, the equivalent circuit can be thought of as a composite transistor circuit configuration with an N-channel MOSFET in the input section and a PNP-type bipolar transistor in the output section. On the other hand, since it can be said that the structure has a MOSFET at the base of the bipolar transistor, it is characterized by being able to generate a very large output current for a small current. It is a high-performance semiconductor that has a higher withstand voltage and less loss than the MOSFET it is based on. It also has the advantage of generating less heat. IGBTs are semiconductors developed in Japan in the 1980s, and their structure at that time was called a punch-through type. In recent years, advances in wafer processes have led to further miniaturization and cost reductions, and IGBT devices with non-punch-through structures and field stop types are being manufactured.

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