Comparison of Forward Characteristics of IGBTs and MOSFETs

This page compares the forward characteristics of the MOSFET(D-MOS) and the IGBT at voltage from 500 to 600 V. In the low-current area, the MOSFET has small voltage drop, and has an advantage. On the other hand, the forward voltage characteristic of the IGBT is better than that of the MOSFET in the high-current area, as shown in Fig. 3-17. As the forward characteristic of the MOSFET has strong positive dependence on temperature, the difference in performance of IGBT and MOSFET widens as temperature increases.

This figure compares medium- and high-voltage products.
Low-voltage MOSFETs, such as trench MOSFETs, have much lower ON resistance than IGBTs in working current area.

In view of these characteristics and switching performances:

• MOSFETs are adopted for applications such as switching power supply operating at about 100 kHz and at low current density.
• IGBTs are adopted for applications such as AC drive operating under 20 kHz and at high current density.

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