Implementation of Mathematical Models of Power
Devices for Circuit Simulation in PSpice
Maria Cotorogea
Abstract - Some methods for the implementstion of
mathematical models of power devices for circuit simulation in
the PSpice program are presented. For this purpose, an option
available in PSpice, called Analog Behavioral Modeling, is
used. In this way, mathematical models for any kind of appli-
cation may be converted into electrical circuits, solved as sub-
circuit-models with the circuit simulator PSpice and further
graphically evaluated with the postprocessor Probe. The de-
veloped procedures are demonstrated with the implementation
of a physics-based IGBT model 111, 121.
I. INTRODUCTION
Although recent simulators, such as SABER [3], may
offer much more capabilities to implement mathematical
models than the well-known SPICE and SPICE-related cir-
cuit simulators, these programs are very expensive and are
available only for workstations. On the other hand, PSpice
is a good value circuit simulator running on personal com-
puters and is nowadays widely used by circuit designers in
power electronics, not least because it is a powerful tool for
circuit analysis and besides interacts with other applications
such as a graphical postprocessor, a schematics editor, a
layout editor, etc.
One problem that arises when using PSpice for the
simulation of power electronic circuits concerns the avail-
ability of accurate models for power devices. Although
many precise analytical device models for circuit simula-
tion can be found in the literature [4], [SI, [ 6 ] ,only few of
them have been implemented in PSpice.
PSpice has a powerful extension, the Analog Behav-
ioral Modeling (ABM), which allows to use the simulator
like a programming language and to solve mathematical
problems in the area of engineering or natural science. In
this paper, the main focus will be put on the simulation of
power electronic devices in PSpice using their mathemati-
cal, physics based models.
1. WHAT IS ANALOG BEHAVIORAL MODELLING?
The process of developing a model for a device or
system component describing its behavior from an external
viewpoint rather than from a microscopic one is called Be-
havior Modeling. In the domain of analog simulation, Be-
havior Modeling is used to create models of new device
types and black-box models for complex systems.
In order to support these applications, SPICE provides
three ways to extend the simulator: using polynomial con-
trolled sources, modifying the simulator code to add a new
The Author is with the Electronics Department, CENIDET,
Cuernavaca Mexico. Phone: +52 (73) 12-23-14. Fax: +52 (73)
18-77-4I . E.Mail: perncp@enidet.edu.mx
0-7803-4856-7-8/98/$10.00 0 1998 IEEE
model, and building a macro model using existing primi-
tives. PSpice, however, provides with its own Analog Be-
havior Modeling option an alternative way to extend simu-
lator capability allowing arbitrary equations andor lookup
tables [7].
Analog Behavior Modeling in PSpice is the ability to
evaluate expressions which are functions of circuit vari-
ables (voltages, currents, simulation time) using the voltage
controlled current and voltage sources available from
SPICE (G and E devices).
111. DESCRIPTION
OF NONLINEAR PASSIVE DEVICES
It is common that semiconductor models contain volt-
age or current dependent resistances (e.g. the moddated
resistance of the lightly doped region) or voltage dependent
capacitances (e.g. the depletion capacitances). The imple-
mentation of the nonlinear passive devices R=f(l), R=f(V),
C=f(V), L=f(l) can be achieved with ABM using controlled
current or controlled voltage sources.
The relationship between the current through a resis-
tance R=f(iR,vR)and the voltage applied to it is given by
Ohm's Law:
R=% (1)
iR
The resistance can be described as a voltage source:
E p ~ s = i R f. ( i R , V R ) (2)
with the PSpice input:
E-RES 1 2 VALUE={I(V_SENSE)*f(I~-SENSE,V(1,2))}
\'-SEXSE 2 3 OV
or as a current source:
with the PSpice input:
G-RES 1 2 VALUE=(~(l~)/f(l(V_SESSE,V(I2))}
V-SEIYSE 2 3 OV
For a voltage dependent capacitance C=f(vc), the re-
lationship between the current through the capacitance and
the voltage applied to it is:
Since the capacitor is a storage component, an auxil-
iary network is needed to describe its voltage dependence.
The capacitor C is replaced in the circuit to be simulated by '
a controlled current source GCAP, which supplies the current
ic of equation (4) and the voltage applied to it is vc. The
voltage derivative dvc/dt has to be calculated with an aux-
17
iliary network using the capacitor model of PSpice (Fig. 1) 1v. SOLVING SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS
and is than supplied to the controlled source GCAPas fol-
Mathematical device models for circuit simulation
lows:
GCAP = f ( w C ) ."(vS&NSE) (5)
generally consist of a set of algebraic equations and inho- .
mogeneous differential equations with variable coefficients,
since they will describe not only the static but also the dy-
namic behavior of the component.
Like in the case of nonlinear passive devices, ABM
can be used to solve systems of linear and nonlinear alge-
braic equations as well as systems of complex, transcendent
and ordinary differential equations in their implicit or ex-
plicit form [SI. In each case, the equations are converted
into electrical circuits and solved by PSpice with a DC-
analysis for only algebraic equations or a transient analysis
*o *o *o for systems of algebraic and differential equations. Editing
the input file of PSpice is besides more confortable than
Fig. I : Schematics input to describe a nonlinear capaci- programming in PASCAL, FORTRAN, or C.
tance using the capacitor model A linear algebraic system of 2 equations has the im-
The current i(VSENSE)
resulting from the auxiliary net- plicit form:
work is: all.xl f a12.x~-y I = 0 (9a)
-
a21.xIf al2.x2 y 2 = 0 (96)

The PSpice input for the voltage dependent capacitor

is as follows: x2 =fYra2,WYa22 (106)
The PSpice input to represent equations (1 Oa,b) is:
G-CAP 1 2 VALUE = {f(V(l,2))*1(V_SENSE)}
E-XI xl 0 VALlTE = { ( yl - a12 V(x2)) I a l l )
E-AUX 3 0 VALUE= (V(1,2)} R-11 xl 0 1MEG
C-AUX 3 4 1F E-x2 x2 0 VhLCE = { ( y2 - a21 V(x1) ) I a22 )
V-SENSE 4 0 OV R-x2 x2 0 lMEG
In the same way, the auxiliary network could use The controlled sources E-xl and E-x2 contain the
the inductor model of PSpice (Fig. 2) and the source GCAp expressions for xI and x2. The node voltages V(x,) and
would be controlled by the expression: V(x2), representing the unknown quantities, are calculated
iteratively by PSpice and adjusted to hlfil equations (loa)
(7)
and (lob). The system of equations can also be solved in its
where VL is: implicit form (9a,b). In this case, controlled current sources
(G-XI and G - d ) have to be used and a great resistance has
to be connected in parallel in order to force the current
(right side of the equations) to be practically zero. There-
fore, this method always generates a little error and the Val- '
Vor io ble corsocitonce hrilior y network ues of the resistances R-XI and R - d , which have no im-
portance in the first case, have to be adjusted to the order of
magnitude of the unknown quantities.
The transcendent equation
xI = a1 . cosh(a2 . XI) (1 I!
cca o GQUv
fPc)+VIL') can be solved using a controlled voltage source with fol-
lowing PSpice description of the equivalent circuit:

Fig..: Schematics input to describe a nonlinear capaci-

E-xl
R-11
11 0
XI 0 1MEG
-
VALUE ( a1 cosh ( a2 V(r1) ) }

tance using the inductor model
A current dependent inductance L=f(ic) can be mod-
eled analogous to the nonlinear capacitance using a con-
trolled voltage source E.
Ordinary differential equations containing any kind of
derivatives (in PSpice they will be converted into time de-
rivatives in order to solve them with a transient analysis)
can be described using storage components, i.e. capacitors
in relation with controlled voltage sources and inductances
in relation with controlled current sources.

18
 The system of inhomogeneous differential equations VI. IMPLEMENTING PHASE TRANSITIONS
with variable coeficients:
In order to include different operation regions and
Y I ~+ ~) I ( x ) . Y I ' ( x+)~ ; ~ ( X ) . Y Z ( X ) = gl($ (124 switching modes of power devices in a physics-based
mathematical model, it is necessary to describe each phase
y.4~)+ h i W ~ t ' ( x+J;z(x).YI(x)
) = gz@) (12b) with a separate equation or system of equations. Conse-
can be solved by PSpice using following circuit with con- quently, the model will contain transitions between different
trolled voltage sources: equations or systems of equations that have to be imple-
mented adequately in the PSpice simulator. First, the condi-
EQUATION 1 tions that must be hlfilled in order to switch t?om one ex-
c1 yl 0 1 IC=lV pression to another have to be clearly defined. There exist
E-RI dyl Yl VALUE={I(Vsensel)*fl l(TIME)} various possibilities for switching between different expres-
E-Fl gl dY1 VALUE={V(y2)*fl2(TlME)}
sense1 VALUE={gl(TIXIE)}
sions that control the ABM sources. The most practical way
E-GI gl
Vsenscl 0 senset ov to solve this problem seems to be the IF-function that can in-
clude logical and relational operators as switching condition
* EQUATION 2 and behaves like an IF-THEN-ELSE command [9]:
c2 y2 0 1 IC=lV
E-R2 dy2 Y2 VALUE={I(Vsense2)* f21(TIME)} {IF(condition = boolean expression, exprl, crpr2))
E-F2 g2 dY2 VALUE=(V(yI)*R2(TIhlE)}
E-G2 g2 sense2 VALUE={g2(TlhlE)} The function has the value of exprl if the condition is
Vsense2 0 sense2 ov TRUE and the value of expr2 if the condition is FALSE.
However, care should be taken in using this function since
.TR&N lOOms 10s Oms lOOms UIC discontinuities behveen the IF and ELSE parts can result in
convergence problems. The same drawback has the use of
INCLUDE:FUNC.INC the STP-function, which is 1 if the argument (switching
Equation 1 condition) is positive and 0, if the argument is negative:
{exprl*STP(coadition)+ exprZ*STP(-coodition)}
EVALUE
If discontinuities behveen the different phases are pre-
sent, the problem can be solved performing soft transitions
with the TABLE-function (lookup table) or the TANH-

1
function (hyperbolic tangent) rather than the STP-fhction.
sense1 These functions can be adjusted to have only values be-
tween 0 and l.
Often it occurs that the transition between two phases
corresponds to the point of intersection of the expressions
describing each phase, so that discontinuities can be
avoided. In this case, the LIMIT-function as well as the
MAX- or the MM-functions are useful to implement such a
continuous transition between exprl and expr2 without the
need of defining an additional switching condition:
{LIXIIT(exprl,expr2,+lhlEG)} = (MAX(expr1, cxpr2))
Equation 2
{LIXlIT(e1prl,-lXIEG,erpr2)} = (hlM(expr1, expr2))

In the first example, expr2 is the lower limit of exprl,

i.e. the result is always the maximum of both expressions, ,
whereas in the second example, expr2 is the upper limit of
exprl and the result is always the minimum of both expres-
sions. The Schematics Editor contains even a SOFTLIMIT
part providing a limiting hnction that uses a continuous
curve [IO].
In each case, it is important whether the equations cor-
responding to each phase of the model are evaluated with
separate controlled sources (which is inevitable in the case

4
Fig.3: Schematics input for the equivalent circuit to solve
of differential equations and systems of equations) or within
the ABM source that performs the phase switching (which
is suitable, if each phase is described by only one algebraic
equation).
equations (120) and (126)
 VI. THEIGBT MODEL IN PSPlCE
The IGBT model developed in [I], accurately describes
the static and dynamic behavior of the NPT-IGBT within the
safe operating area including turn-on, turn-off, and short-
circuit characteristics. Physical models, like high-level injec-
tion, carrier recombination, mobility modulation, static ava-
lanche-generation, and temperature dependence of the model
parameters are taken into account. However, dynamic ava-
lanche-generation, thermal feedback and latch-up are not
considered in the model.
The structure of the IGBT (Fig. 4) shows clearly, that
the device behaves like a bipolar transistor with a
MOSFET-controlled base. The model is represented by the
equivalent circuit of Fig. 5, which consequently is divided
into an unipolar and a bipolar part. All concentrated ele-
ments consist of resistors, capacitors, controlled current,
and controlled voltage sources.
GATE EMlTfER
1
COLLECTOR
Fig.4: Cross section of the IGBT
I
9 Emitter
Le
Gate 0
I m I Q I
6 Collector
Figs: Analog circuit representation of the IGBT model
20
The inherent MOSFET was described by the standard
model available in PSpice, i.e. the drain current is determined
by a controlled current source using the Shockley-equations.
Only the parasitic gate-drain and drain-source capacitances
cgdand C, were implemented externally with the method
described above considering their current and voltage de-
pendencies. The MOSFET supplies the electron current at the
emitter edge of the lightly doped n'-region (I,(x=W)).
The model of the internal bipolar transistor consists of
the base-emitter diode, supplying the electron current at the
collector edge of the lightly doped d-region (In(x=O)), the
voltage and current dependent base resistance RB,and two
current sources for the hole currents at the collector and
emitter edge of the quasi-neutral base (Ip(x=O) and I,(x=W)).
The base-emitter diode was described using the built-in
model of PSpice, whereas the concentrated circuit elements
RB,I,(x=O), and I,(x=W) are represented by voltage and cur-
rent sources (E and G devices) controlled by a set of analyti-
cal equations derived fiom semiconductor physics.
The calculation of the above mentioned system of
equations is based on the carrier distribution p(x) in the
lightly doped region which is obtained fiom the solution of
the one-dimensional ambipolar diffusion equation using an
approximation [4]. The resulting function type of p(x) de-
pends on the high-level carrier lifetime and the switching
condition of the IGBT:
pi (x) = hyperbolicus function
p*(x) = bi - sinus function ( I 3)
p3(x) = hyperbolicus and sinus function
where pl(x) is the stationary carrier distribution and the dis-
tribution during turn-on and short-circuit I conditions of the
IGBT, k(x) is the function corresponding to the distribution
during the second phase of the turn off, and finally pj(x) is
the carrier distribution assumed for the first phase of the tum-
offand for the short-circuit 11 conditions. It can be observed
that the model contains transitions between different switch-
ing phases, each one described by its own system of equa-
tions.
The concentrated elements base charge Qe and base re-
sistance RB are obtained fiom the integration of the respective
carrier distribution function over the quasi-neutral base width
w:
W
QB = 4 . A . I P ( X ) h (1 4)
0
W
The hole currents I,(x=O) and I,(x=W) result from the
one-dimensional ambipolar transport equation that contains
the derivatives of p(x) at the collector and emitter edge of the
quasi-neutral base:
 An advantage of the implementation method through a
subcircuit description using controlled sources is the access
to all internal nodes of the model, some of them giving im-
portant information about internal variables, such as the di-
vision of the total collector current into electron and hole
current, the base charge, or the base resistance. Fig. 7 illus-
The set of model equations is completed by the charge trates the time dependent behavior of these variables during
control equation, where T is the high-level carrier lifetime: turn on. It can be observed, that the total IGBT current at
the collector end of the quasi-neutral base x=W at the be- *
Ip(x = 0) - IP(x = W) = I,(X = W) - I , ( ~ = 0) = -
QB
r
+a
dt
ginning of the turn-on transient consists practically only on
electron current (from the MOSFET), whereas at the emit-
(I 7) ter end it consists only on hole current. This is due to the
fact that the injection of base charge, which initiates
For turn off and short-circuit 11, where the local carrier through hole injeciion at the emitter end, requires some
distribution (and hence the base charge) has to be divided time and the base region has a great resistance when the
into various regions, each one described by a different func- IGBT is turned on. This behavior is clearly demonstrated
tion, the charge control equation has to be applied to each of by the base charge and base resistance waveforms in Fig. 7.
these regions separately, since the movement of the internal
nn: 10115/01 132420 TqwnDI.: 27.0
boundaries determines an additional displacement current.
MA
The IGBT model was verified comparing simulations
with the theoretical model and experimental results for turn
on and turn off under hard switching conditions (chopper cir-
cuit with inductive load) with following circuit parameters:
gate resistance & = 27V, load inductance LL = 400pH,gate
turn-on voltage VGbn = 14V and supply voltage Vo = 8OOV. M
&X-IGET.WW ,CXJ3BT.#W 410ciG8T.WC)
The tested device was the Siemens NPT-IGBT BUP307 [ 1 11.
Fig. 6 shows the comparison of measured and simu-
lated, gate and collector, current and voltage turn-on wave-
forms. During the turn on of the IGBT, the load current
switches from the freewheeling diode to the IGBT. Conse-
quently, the shape of the collector current waveform is in-
fluenced by the reverse recovery of this diode. The turn-on
process of the IGBT is mainly determined by the behavior
of its intrinsic MOSFET and the conductivity modulation of
the base region. During turn on are charged the gate ca- Bas8 charge [h]

pacitances, first the C,, (first phase with gate current peak)
and then CBd(second phase with constant gate current and
voltage). It can be observed that the model accurately de-
scribes the turn-on process. 0 . b 0.cUs 1- 1- zam23u
,V@-lGBl.Cfi) (vKIGBT.bu*l)- V(XJ36Tmssrl)Y 1KIGBT.W)
D T b r .

Fig. 7: Waveforms of internal variables

. . for the simulated turn-on process
.: .
~ ~

: I!

. . .. .. . . In Fig. 8 is shown the comparison of measured and

.. ..
.:: :
.! , . simulated, gate and collector, current and voltage wave- .
forms during turn off. The gate capacitances of the internal
MOSFET are now discharged causing a negative gate cur-
rent peak. The MOSFET rapidly turns off when the internal
gate emitter voltage V, falls below the threshold voltage
and after that the collector emitter voltage of the IGBT can
start to increase. Due to the inductive load, the collector
current remains constant, beeing supported now completely
by the hole current at the collector end of the quasi-neutral
base I,(x=W), since the electron current from the MOSFET
is zero. The current distribution in Fig. 9 demonstrates
Fig.6: Measured (solid) and simulated (dashed) turn-on clearly this characteristic. The gradient of the collector
transients of the NPT-IGBT BUP 307 emitter voltage VCEdepends only on the gate resistance and
dynamic behavior of the space charge region between col-

21
lector and emitter. The freewheeling diode turns on when
VCE reaches the supply voltage Vo and then the collector
current IC begins to fall. The current waveform is deter-
mined by the internal behavior of the IGBT and presents
the typical current tail due to the stored charge recombina-
tion in the base. In Fig. 8 can be noted a good agreement
between the simulated and measured waveforms of collec-
tor current and collector emitter voltage.
r]iFi
- ' - . a .
- -
. , , ~
_ . .
V a : 5wVldlv. t l0CddN !G54Jdwt:Io(hJdlv
Fig.8: Measured (solid) and simulated (dashed) turn-off
transients of the NPT-IGBT BUP 307
..
&X-Wl.OB~~ l Q E l h a b l V> g y a ~ . m u t ) YIKIOBTVrC)
nm
Fig.9: Waveforms of internal variables
for the simulated turn-offprocess
The current distributions as well as the base resistance
and charge waveforms of Fig. 9 reveal the internal proc-
esses of the IGBT during turn off. At the emitter end of the
quasi-neutral base (x=O) can be observed even a negative
22
hole current during the tail phase proving that for the NPT-
IGBT base charge is removed by surface recombination
instead of SRH-recombination with lifetime control. It can
be seen that the base resistance decreases during the first
phase of collector voltage rise due to the reduction of the
quasi-neutral base width W and increases only slowly in the
tail phase according to the charge removement.
VII. Conclusions
Some methods for the implementation of mathematical .
models in PSpice have been presented using the Analog Be-
havioral Modeling Option with controlled current and voltage
soiuces. The ABM description of variable passive devices as
well as the implementation of systems of algebraic and dif-
ferential equations are explained and applied to a physics-
based IGBT model. Simulations of the IGBT model in
PSpice demonstrate its accuracy and the possibility of study-
ing the internal device behavior by accessing internal subcir-
* - cuit nodes. It is interesting to note that this feature makes the
model a useful tool not only for circuit designer, but also for
- - device manufacturers. Furthermore, macromodels built with
- ABM devices are easy to handle and change. The presented
implementation method has the drawback that simulations
become very slow for complex systems of equations and
phase transitions can cause convergence problems.
VIII. REFERENCES
Cotorogea, M.:Netzwerksimulation des Insulated Gate
Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), Doctoral Thesis, 1993, *
Tech. Univers. of Berlin, Germany.
Conrad, H.; Cotorogea. U ;Mattairsch. H.-J.: Model-
lierung des Non-Punch-Through (NPT)-IGBT fiir die
Netzwerksimulation, electronica'92, Munich, 1992,
Proc., pp. 37-47.
Analogy. SABER Manual, Beaverton OR, 1989.
Xu. C.H.; Schroder, D.: A Power Bipolar Junction
Model Describing the Static and Dynamic Behaviour,
IEEE PESC-Record, 1989, pp. 3 14-321.
Vogler, T.; Schroder, D.: A New Accurate Circuit-
Modelling Approach for the Power Diode, IEEE
PESC-Record, 1992, pp. 870-876.
Hefner. A. R.; Blackburn, D.L.: An Analytical Model
for the Steady-State and Transient Characteristics of the
Power Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor, Solid-state
Electronics, Vol. 31, 1988, pp 1513-1532.
-
MicroSim Tutorial Application Notes and Design
Ideas, Irvine CA, 1995.
Justus,O.: Berechnung linearer und nichtlinearer
Netzwerke, Fachbuchverlag LeipzipKbln, 1994.
MicroSim PSpice A 0 - Reference Manual, Irvine CA,
1997.
MicroSim PSpice 2% Basics - User's Guide, Irvine CA,
1997.
Siemens Data Sheet BUP 307, 1998