Editing Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (section)

{{short description|Type of solid state switch}}
{{Infobox electronic component
| name              = Insulated-gate bipolar transistor
| image             = IGBT 3300V 1200A Mitsubishi.jpg
| caption           = IGBT module (IGBTs and freewheeling diodes) with a rated current of 1200&nbsp;A and a maximum voltage of 3300&nbsp;V
| type              =
| working_principle = [[Semiconductor]]
| invented          = 1959
| first_produced    =
| pins              = 
| symbol            = [[Image:IGBT symbol.svg]]
| symbol_caption    = IGBT schematic symbol
}}

An '''insulated-gate bipolar transistor''' ('''IGBT''') is a three-terminal [[power semiconductor device]] primarily forming an electronic switch. It was developed to combine high efficiency with fast switching. It consists of four alternating layers (NPNP)<ref name=":0">{{cite book |url=https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/HBD871-D.PDF |title=IGBT Applications Handbook |date=April 2014 |publisher=ON Semiconductor}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) {{!}} JEDEC |url=https://www.jedec.org/standards-documents/dictionary/terms/insulated-gate-bipolar-transistor-igbt |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=www.jedec.org}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=IGBT Structure {{!}} About IGBTs {{!}} TechWeb |url=https://techweb.rohm.com/product/power-device/igbt/11640/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=techweb.rohm.com}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Shao |first1=Lingfeng |last2=Hu |first2=Yi |last3=Xu |first3=Guoqing |date=2020 |title=A High Precision On-Line Detection Method for IGBT Junction Temperature Based on Stepwise Regression Algorithm |journal=IEEE Access |volume=8 |pages=186172–186180 |doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3028904 |issn=2169-3536|doi-access=free |bibcode=2020IEEEA...8r6172S }}</ref> that are controlled by a [[metal–oxide–semiconductor]] (MOS) [[Metal gate|gate]] structure.

Although the structure of the IGBT is topologically similar to a [[thyristor]] with a "[[MOSFET|MOS]]" gate ([[MOS-controlled thyristor|MOS-gate thyristor]]), the thyristor action is completely suppressed, and only the [[transistor]] action is permitted in the entire device operation range. It is used in [[switching power supply|switching power supplies]] in high-power applications: [[variable-frequency drive]]s (VFDs) for motor control in [[electric car]]s, trains, variable-speed refrigerators,  and air conditioners, as well as lamp ballasts, arc-welding machines, photovoltaic and hybrid inverters, [[Uninterruptible Power Supply|uninterruptible power supply]] systems (UPS), and [[Induction cooking|induction stoves]].

Since it is designed to turn on and off rapidly, the IGBT can synthesize complex waveforms with [[pulse-width modulation]] and [[low-pass filter]]s, thus it is also used in [[switching amplifier]]s in sound systems and industrial [[control system]]s. In switching applications modern devices feature [[Pulse repetition frequency|pulse repetition rates]] well into the ultrasonic-range frequencies, which are at least ten times higher than audio frequencies handled by the device when used as an analog audio amplifier. {{As of|2010}}, the IGBT was the second most widely used power transistor, after the [[power MOSFET]].{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+IGBT comparison table<ref>[http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/power/insulated-gate-bipolar-transistor.html Basic Electronics Tutorials].</ref>
!Device characteristic
!Power [[Bipolar junction transistor|BJT]]
![[Power MOSFET]]
!IGBT
|-
|Voltage rating
|High <1&nbsp;kV
|High <1&nbsp;kV
|Very high >1&nbsp;kV
|-
|Current rating
|High <500&nbsp;A
|Low <200&nbsp;A
|High >500&nbsp;A
|-
|Input drive
|Current ratio<br /> ''h''<sub>FE</sub> ~ 20–200
|Voltage<br /> ''V''<sub>GS</sub> ~ 3–10 V
|Voltage<br /> ''V''<sub>GE</sub> ~ 4–8 V
|-
|Input impedance
|Low
|High
|High
|-
|Output impedance
|Low
|Medium
|Low
|-
|Switching speed
|Slow (μs)
|Fast (ns)
|Medium
|-
|Cost
|Low
|Medium
|High
|}