Design and Process Development in High Voltage Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs)

The last decade has witnessed great improvements in power semiconductor devices thanks to the advanced design and process, which have made it possible to significantly improve the electrical performances of electronic systems while simultaneously reducing their site, weight and perhaps most importantly reducing their cost. Among the power semiconductor devices, IGBT will be a key semiconductor component for power industry since it has a huge potential to cover large areas of power electronics from small home appliances to heavy industries. Currently, only a few limited power semiconductor manufacturers supply most of the industrial consumptions of power IGBT and its modules. Therefore, a large portion of technology in the power industry is dependent on other advanced countries. In this regard, to independently build power IGBT devices and the relevant power module technology, Korean government initiated a new 5-year project 'Power IT,' which also aimed at booming the business of the power semiconductor and the allied industries. With the success of this power IT project, it is expected that the power semiconductor technology will be a basis to foster the high power semiconductor industry and moreover, there will be more innovative developments in the Korea region and globally Also, forming the channel between the customers and suppliers, it is possible to effectively develop the customized power products, which could strengthen the competitiveness of Korean power industry. Furthermore, the power industry including semiconductor manufacturers will be technologically self-supporting and be able to obtain good business opportunities, and eventually increase the share in the growing power semiconductor market, which could be positioned as a major industry in Korea.