High-voltage fast diode with “soft” recovery

High-voltage fast silicon $p^+Nn^+$ diodes used in almost all modern electrical energy converters must have a low residual voltage in the conducting state, but can simultaneously be rapidly switched to the off state with low commutation losses without producing a surge overvoltage. Such a combination of parameters is usually ensured by producing the profile concentration distribution for recombination centers in the $N$ base with a peak of the $p^+N$ junctions. Such a distribution is produced by irradiating the $p^+Nn^+$ diode in vacuum by protons or $\alpha$ particles on the side of the $p^+N$ junctions. We report on the results of testing of diodes in which profile distribution for the centers is obtained using a simpler and more productive method by electron bombardment in a certain energy range in air. It is shown using the specially designed devices with a blocked voltage up to 5 kV that all dynamic characteristics of the diodes correspond to the world standard, and the residual voltage in the conducting state for the working current density is approximately 30% lower.