scholarly journals Thermal Assessment and In-Situ Monitoring of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors in Power Electronic Modules

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick Gutierrez ◽  
Kevin Lin ◽  
Douglas DeVoto ◽  
Patrick McCluskey
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Rapid Determination ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Power Module ◽  
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor ◽  
Die Attach ◽  
Power Modules

Abstract Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power modules are devices commonly used for high-power applications. Operation and environmental stresses can cause these power modules to progressively degrade over time, potentially leading to catastrophic failure of the device. This degradation process may cause some early performance symptoms related to the state of health of the power module, making it possible to detect reliability degradation of the IGBT module. Testing can be used to accelerate this process, permitting a rapid determination of whether specific declines in device reliability can be characterized. In this study, thermal cycling was conducted on multiple power modules simultaneously in order to assess the effect of thermal cycling on the degradation of the power module. In-situ monitoring of temperature was performed from inside each power module using high temperature thermocouples. Device imaging and characterization were performed along with temperature data analysis, to assess failure modes and mechanisms within the power modules. While the experiment aimed to assess the potential damage effects of thermal cycling on the die attach, results indicated that wire bond degradation was the life-limiting failure mechanism.

Wire Bond Failures in Power Modules

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ramminger ◽  
G. Wachutka
Keyword(s):  
Failure Modes ◽  
Wire Bonding ◽  
Shear Forces ◽  
Reliable System ◽  
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor ◽  
Self Heating ◽  
Material Fatigue ◽  
Igbt Modules ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Temperature Swing

Power modules are key components for traction applications, railway locomotives, streetcars and elevators, all of which are equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) modules. In this application field, a highly reliable system is of uppermost interest. Reliability tests show that wire bonding and soldering may cause the modules to fail. The packaging setup is a multilayer system in which different materials are soldered together. During a temperature swing caused by self-heating and/or by changes in the ambient temperature, the layers expand differently. This generally causes shear forces at the terminations of joint interfaces finally leading to material fatigue and shorter life. In this paper, we give an overview of the wire bonding technique used in power modules and discuss the mechanisms and failure modes associated with it.

Rapid Determination of Organic Matter Fractions by Ozonation Chemiluminescence

2012 ◽  
Vol 468-471 ◽  
pp. 2842-2848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Liu ◽  
Ping Ping Fan ◽  
Guang Li Hou ◽  
Ji Chang Sun ◽  
Yan Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Rapid Determination ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Sediment Chemistry ◽  
Marine Biogeochemistry ◽  
Organic Matter Fractions ◽  
Soluble Fractions

Understanding marine biogeochemistry requires a network of global ocean in situ monitoring of various parameters on different scales in time and space. Among the various parameters involved in marine biogeochemistry, sediment chemistry is most important, and the organic matter fractions are the dominate factor in this parameter. However, classical methods of determining organic matter fractions consume a great deal of time and labor. In addition, some of these methods can produce high levels of pollution and are therefore not suitable for in situ studies. This study explored a method of rapid determination of organic matter fractions by ozonation chemiluminescence. In this method, the organic matter was separated into extractives, acid soluble fractions and acid insoluble fractions (AIF) using the classical method and then oxidized by ozone. The ozonation chemiluminescence characteristics of eight samples were subsequently used to set up a model to predict the concentrations of organic matter fractions. The model was tested using nine other organic samples and the results showed that it provided a better fit for the predicted acid soluble fractions. This study is the first to demonstrate the use of ozonation chemiluminescence for rapid determination of organic matter fractions; however, further study is required to enable its universal use.

scholarly journals Understanding Turn-On Transients of SiC High-Power Modules: Drain-Source Voltage Plateau Characteristics

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maosheng Zhang ◽  
Na Ren ◽  
Qing Guo ◽  
Kuang Sheng
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Power Module ◽  
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor ◽  
Switching Performance ◽  
Fast Switching ◽  
Turn On ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Voltage Plateau ◽  
Source Voltage ◽  
Bus Voltage

The SiC (silicon carbide) high-power module has great potential to replace the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) power module in high-frequency and high-power applications, due to the superior properties of fast switching and low power loss, however, when the SiC high-power module operates under inappropriate conditions, the advantages of the SiC high-power module will be probably eliminated. In this paper, four kinds of SiC high-power modules are fabricated to investigate fast switching performance. The variations in characteristics of drain-source voltage at turn-on transient under the combined conditions of multiple factors are studied. A characteristic of voltage plateau is observed from the drain-source voltage waveform at turn-on transient in the experiments, and the characteristic is reproduced by simulation. The mechanism behind the voltage plateau is studied, and it is revealed that the characteristic of drain-source voltage plateau is a reflection of the miller plateau effect of gate-source voltage on drain-source voltage under the combined conditions of fast turn-on speed and low DC bus voltage, while the different values of drain-source voltage plateau are attributed to the discrepancy of structure between upper-side and lower-side in the corresponding partial path of the drain circuit loop inside the module, with the standard 62 mm package outline.

scholarly journals Review of Methodologies for Structural Integrity Evaluation of Power Modules

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Miyazaki ◽  
Nobuyuki Shishido ◽  
Yutaka Hayama
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Fatigue ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Strain Range ◽  
Inelastic Strain ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Power Module ◽  
Cycling Test ◽  
Die Attach ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Failure Models

Abstract This paper reviews the previous research on the methodologies for evaluating structural integrity of wire bonds and die-attachments in power modules. Under power module operation, these parts are subjected to repeated temperature variations which induce repeated thermal stress due to the mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the constituent materials. Thus, thermal fatigue phenomena are critical issues for the structural integrity of power modules. In the present paper, we also deal with the evaluation methodologies for thermal fatigue in the temperatures over 200 °C, which are expected operational temperatures for wide bandgap semiconductor power modules. The failure models based on the temperature range ΔT widely used in the power electronics community are critically reviewed from a mechanical engineering viewpoint. Detailed discussion is given concerning the superiority of failure models based on the physical quantities such as the inelastic strain range Δεin, the inelastic strain energy density range ΔWin, and the nonlinear fracture mechanics parameter range ΔT* over the conventional ΔT-based failure models. It is also pointed out that the distributed state concept (DSC) approaches based on the unified constitutive modeling and the unified mechanics theory are promising for evaluating the structural integrity of power modules. Two kinds of test methods, a power cycling test (PCT) and a thermal cycling test (TCT), are discussed in the relation to evaluating the lifetimes of wire-liftoff and die attach cracking.

Package Reliability of the SiC Power Modules in Harsh Environments

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 (HITEN) ◽  
pp. 000139-000144
Author(s):  
Fengqun Lang ◽  
Hiroshi Yamaguchi ◽  
Hiroshi Sato
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Isothermal Aging ◽  
Harsh Environments ◽  
Die Attach ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Package Reliability

To evaluate the package reliability of the SiC power modules in harsh environments, the SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) were die bonded to the Si3N4/Cu/Ni(P) substrate with Au-Ge eutectic solder using a vacuum reflow furnace. The Si3N4/Cu/Ni(P) substrates are active metalized copper (AMC). The bonded samples were isothermally aged at 330°C and tested under thermal cycling conditions in the temperature range of −40–300°C in air. During the isothermal aging, cracks of the Ni(P) layer developed, resulting in oxidation of the Cu power path. Decrease in the die bond strength and increase in the electrical resistivity were observed due to the Cu power path oxidation and the growth of the Ni-Ge intermetalic compound (IMC) in the joint. Under the thermal cycling conditions, the metallization of the substrate suffers from serious surface roughness, which greatly degrades the die-attach reliability. The Al electrode was found to seriously exfoliate from the SiC-SBDs due to the thermal stress. After 521 cycles, almost all the Al electrode exfoliated form the anode. Benefit from the excellent mechanical properties of Si3N4, no detachment of the Cu layer was observed from the Si3N4 substrate after 1079 cycles, while the Cu layer detached from the AlN substrate only after 12 cycles.

A High Performance Power Module with >10kV capability to Characterize and Test In Situ SiC Devices at >200°C Ambient

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (HiTEC) ◽  
pp. 000149-000158
Author(s):  
Xin Zhao ◽  
Haotao Ke ◽  
Yifan Jiang ◽  
Adam Morgan ◽  
Yang Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Power Module ◽  
Module Design ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Operational Temperature ◽  
Full Power ◽  
Temperature Applications

Abstract This paper presents design, fabrication and characterization details of a 10kV power module package for >200°C ambient temperature applications. Electrical simulations were performed to confirm the module design, and that the electric field distribution throughout the module did not exceed dielectric capabilities of components and materials. A suitable copper etching process was demonstrated for DBC layout, and a high melting point Sn/Pb/Ag solder reflow process was developed for device and component attachment. To monitor the operational temperature of the module, a thermistor was integrated onto the substrate. A new silicone gel, having a working temperature up to 210°C, was evaluated and selected for encapsulation and, of great importance, for passivation of high voltage (10kV) SiC dies. An additive manufacturing ‘Design Process’ was developed and applied to printing the housings, molds, and test fixtures. Also, cleaning processes were evaluated for every step in the fabrication process. To verify performance of the modules, mechanical dies were mounted on the substrates, and a high temperature testing setup built to characterize the modules at high temperature. Measurements indicated that the module can operate up to 12kV within 25°C to 225°C, with less than 0.1 μA leakage current. The packaging was used for full-power characterization of developmental 10kV SiC diodes, and proved that the power module packaging satisfied all requirements for high voltage and high temperature applications. This work successfully validated the processes for creating high voltage (>10 kV) and high temperature (>200°C) power modules.

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