# US 10,769,337 B2 · IGBT modeling method and circuit simulation method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,337 B2 - Document ID: US10769337B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/807,977 - Filed: 2017-11-09 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-24 - Assignees: Tsinghua University - Applicants: Tsinghua University - Inventors: Zhengming Zhao; Ye Jiang; Tian Tan; Boyang Li; Yatao Ling; Bochen Shi; Liqiang Yuan; Kainan Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769337B2 ## CPC - G06F 30/367: Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods - G06F 2111/10: Numerical modelling - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An IGBT modeling method includes creating piece-wise line functions describing a collector-emitter voltage vce, a collector current ic and a gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-on transient based on an internal structure of the IGBT and transient processes of the IGBT. The IGBT modeling method further includes creating piece-wise line functions describing the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-off transient based on the internal structure of the IGBT and the transient processes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modeling method, comprising: creating first piece-wise line functions describing a collector-emitter voltage vce, a collector current ic and a gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-on transient based on an internal structure of the IGBT and transient processes of the IGBT, wherein creating the first piece-wise line functions comprises: determining various periods during the switching-on transient of the IGBT, wherein the switching-on transient, which is after receipt of a turn-on signal and before a steady on-state, is divided into four on periods: a first on period starts when a gate drive sends the turn-on signal and ends when ic begins to rise, a second on period starts when ic begins to rise from 0 and ends when ic reaches a maximum value, a third on period starts when ic reaches the maximum value and ends when ic falls back to a load current, and a fourth on period ends when vce falls back to a saturation voltage; and determining starting values and ending values of each of the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during the four on periods of the switching-on transient and a duration of each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period based on the transient processes of the IGBT, thereby determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period as a linear function or an exponential function; and creating second piece-wise line functions describing the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-off transient based on the internal structure of the IGBT and the transient processes of the IGBT, wherein creating the second piece-wise line functions comprises: determining various periods during the switching-off transient of the IGBT, wherein the switching-off transient, which is after receipt of a turn-off signal and before a steady off-state, is divided into four off periods: a first off period starts when the gate drive sends the turn-off signal and ends when vce begins to rise, a second off period starts when vce begins to rise from the saturation voltage and ends when vce reaches a DC bus voltage, a third off period starts when ic begins to fall from the load current and ends when ic falls to a tail current initial value, and a fourth off period ends when ic falls to 0; and determining starting values and ending values of each of the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during the four off periods of the switching-off transient and a duration of each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period based on the transient processes of the IGBT, thereby determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period as a linear function or an exponential function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The IGBT modeling method according to claim 1, wherein all the parameters used in the creating of the first piece-wise line functions and the creating of the second piece-wise line functions are obtained from datasheets of the IGBT. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The IGBT modeling method according to claim 1, wherein the IGBT modeling method is used for circuit simulation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The IGBT modeling method according to claim 1, wherein the IGBT is a planar non-punch through (NPT) IGBT. ### Claim 5 A circuit simulation method, in which an IGBT piece-wise line model is used to describe characteristics of a commutation loop, the method comprising: forming a two-port network based on an IGBT, a freewheel diode and stray inductance in a commutation loop, wherein voltages and currents of each of an input port and an output port of the two-port network is determined according to a direction of an output current: if the output current flows out of the two-port network, the voltage of the input port equals a direct current (DC) bus voltage VDC and the current of the input port equals the collector current ic, while the current of the output port equals a load current IL and the voltage of the output port equals VDC-vce, vce is a collector-emitter voltage; if the output current flows into the two-port network, the voltage of the input port equals the DC bus voltage VDC and the current of the input port equals ic-IL, while the current of the output port equals the load current IL and the voltage of the output port equals the collector-emitter voltage vce; obtaining a relationship between (vce, ic) and (VDC, IL, sw) in each period during a switching-on transient and a switching-off transient based on the IGBT piece-wise line model, wherein sw represents an IGBT switching signal, and the IGBT piece-wise line model is obtained by: creating first piece-wise line functions describing a collector-emitter voltage vce, a collector current ic and a gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-on transient based on an internal structure of the IGBT and transient processes of the IGBT, wherein creating the first piece-wise line functions comprises: determining various periods during the switching-on transient of the IGBT, wherein the switching-on transient, which is after receipt of a turn-on signal and before a steady on-state, is divided into four on periods: a first on period starts when a gate drive sends the turn-on signal and ends when ic begins to rise, a second on period starts when ic begins to rise from 0 and ends when ic reaches a maximum value, a third on period starts when ic reaches the maximum value and ends when ic falls back to a load current, and a fourth on period ends when vce falls back to a saturation voltage; and determining starting values and ending values of each of the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during the four on periods of the switching-on transient and a duration of each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period based on the transient processes of the IGBT, thereby determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period as a linear function or an exponential function, and creating second piece-wise line functions describing the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge of the IGBT during a switching-off transient based on the internal structure of the IGBT and the transient processes of the IGBT, wherein creating the second piece-wise line functions comprises: determining various periods during the switching-off transient of the IGBT, wherein the switching-off transient, which is after receipt of a turn-off signal and before a steady off-state, is divided into four off periods: a first off period starts when the gate drive sends the turn-off signal and ends when vce begins to rise, a second off period starts when vce begins to rise from the saturation voltage and ends when vce reaches a DC bus voltage, a third off period starts when ic begins to fall from the load current and ends when ic falls to a tail current initial value, and a fourth off period ends when ic falls to 0; and determining starting values and ending values of each of the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during the four off periods of the switching-off transient and a duration of each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period based on the transient processes of the IGBT, thereby determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period as a linear function or an exponential function; and adding the two-port network to a simulation circuit for computation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The circuit simulation method according to claim 5, wherein all the parameters used in the creating of the first piece-wise line functions and the creating of the second piece-wise functions are obtained from datasheets of the IGBT. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The circuit simulation method according to claim 5, wherein the IGBT modeling method is used for circuit simulation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The circuit simulation method according to claim 5, wherein the IGBT is a planar NPT IGBT. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The IGBT modeling method according to claim 1, wherein creating the first piece-wise line functions comprises determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period as a single linear function or as a single exponential function. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The IGBT modeling method according to claim 1, wherein creating the second piece-wise line functions comprises determining the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period as a single linear function or as a single exponential function. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The circuit simulation method according to claim 5, wherein creating the first piece-wise line functions comprises determining the collector-emitter voltage vce, the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first on period, the second on period, the third on period and the fourth on period as a single linear function or as a single exponential function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The circuit simulation method according to claim 5, wherein creating the second piece-wise line functions comprises determining the collector current ic and the gate-emitter voltage vge during each of the first off period, the second off period, the third off period and the fourth off period as a single linear function or as a single exponential function.