Modern insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) gate driving methods for robustness and reliability

This chapter has presented an overview of state-of-the-art advanced gate driver techniques for enhancing the reliability of IGBT modules. Broadly speaking, methods can be classified in detection methods, optimization methods, and protection methods. Additionally, optimization and protection methods can be roughly classified in simple (and cheap) and advanced (even more expensive). Simple methods, like the open -loop and passivity -based ones, perform well in normal applications, but advanced methods, like closed -loop control strategies, even if more expensive, are necessary for special applications, like high -power IGBT modules. In the near future, benefiting from the increase of data processing speed and reducing the cost of digital controllers, the advanced techniques discussed in this chapter could become more and more affordable and popular, even in low-cost applications, for both considerably reducing short-term and long-term reliability issues. In fact, basing on a large number of different failure mechanisms, more and more complex strategies will be needed including most of the mature detection and protection methods toward the so-called reliability -oriented gate driver design.