Competence Comparison of IGBT and MOSFET as Power Switch

Abstract

In the field of toady’s power electronics, power switches play an important role. Presently, most commonly used power switches can be categorized as bipolar transistors, MOSFETs and IGBTs. In fact, power MOSFETs and IGBTs are the devices of choice for power switch designs. Recent developments in semiconductors and chip design technologies offer a wide range of power switches for different applications. With the proliferation of choices between MOSFETs and IGBTs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for today’s designer to select the best device for their application. This paper presents a few basic guidelines that will help this decision-making process. The comparison is based on the switching losses and conduction losses in the two devices.