Investigation of the limiting factors of the dead time minimization in a H-bridge IGBT inverter

In order to avoid a bridge shoot-through, a simultaneous on-state of both IGBTs in a bridge leg is strictly forbidden. Therefore, the complementary switch is commonly turned on with a dead-time interval to ensure a complete turn-off the other IGBT. Due to the longer tail-current interval of IGBT switching process, for the purpose of absolute safe operation, the interlocking time t _o is empirically in microsecond range which normally is much longer than necessary. This raises the questions about whether the tail-current is real a matter of concern, and how can the dead-time be minimized? An IGBT H-bridge inverter with an adjustable interlock time was built in this project, and a series of experiments were carried out to investigate the limiting factors of the dead-time minimization.