Improved Reliability of Power Modules: A Review of Online Junction Temperature Measurement Methods

Power electronic systems play an increasingly important role in providing high-efficiency power conversion for adjustable-speed drives, power-quality correction, renewable-energy systems, energy-storage systems, and electric vehicles. However, they are often presented with demanding operating environments that challenge the reliability aspects of power electronic techniques. For example, increasingly thermally stressful environments are seen in applications such as electric vehicles, where ambient temperatures under the hood exceed 150 °C, while some wind turbine applications can place large temperature cycling conditions on the system. On the other hand, safety requirements in the aerospace and automotive industries place rigorous demands on reliability.

[1]  P-O. Jeannin,et al.  “Development and electrical characterization of a vertical electrical and thermal test chip (VTTC)” , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[2]  W. Brekel,et al.  Time Resolved In Situ Tvj Measurements of 6 . 5 kV IGBTs during Inverter Operation , 2009 .

[3]  Eric Woirgard,et al.  High power IGBT modules: thermal fatigue resistance evaluation of the solder joints , 2000, IWIPP 2000. International Workshop on Integrated Power Packaging (Cat. No.00EX426).

[4]  R. Herzer,et al.  Method for electrical detection of bond wire lift-off for power semiconductors , 2003, ISPSD '03. 2003 IEEE 15th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs, 2003. Proceedings..

[5]  M. Liserre,et al.  Reactive power control methods for improved reliability of wind power inverters under wind speed variations , 2012, 2012 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[6]  Michael G. Pecht,et al.  A prognostic approach for non-punch through and field stop IGBTs , 2012, Microelectron. Reliab..

[7]  T. Plum,et al.  On-line Junction Temperature Measurement of CoolMOS Devices , 2007, 2007 7th International Conference on Power Electronics and Drive Systems.

[8]  D.A. Murdock,et al.  Active thermal control of power electronic modules , 2003, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[9]  D. Blackburn.  A review of thermal characterization of power transistors , 1988, Fourth Annual IEEE Semiconductor Thermal and Temperature Measurement Symposium.

[10]  Lixiang Wei,et al.  Analysis of PWM frequency control to improve the lifetime of PWM inverter , 2009, 2009 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[11]  V. Blasko,et al.  On line thermal model and thermal management strategy of a three phase voltage source inverter , 1999, Conference Record of the 1999 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. Thirty-Forth IAS Annual Meeting (Cat. No.99CH36370).

[12]  A. Ginart,et al.  Turn-Off Time as an Early Indicator of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Latch-up , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[13]  Markus Thoben,et al.  Lifetime calculation for power modules, application and theory of models and counting methods , 2011, Proceedings of the 2011 14th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[14]  X. Cheng,et al.  A Prognostic and Warning System for Power Electronic Modules in Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles , 2006, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE Industry Applications Conference Forty-First IAS Annual Meeting.

[15]  H. Kuhn,et al.  On-line junction temperature measurement of IGBTs based on temperature sensitive electrical parameters , 2009, 2009 13th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[16]  L. Ran,et al.  Investigation Into IGBT dV/dt During Turn-Off and Its Temperature Dependence , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[17]  Dawei Xiang,et al.  An Industry-Based Survey of Reliability in Power Electronic Converters , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[18]  A. Bar-Cohen,et al.  A shear based optimization of adhesive thickness for die bonding , 1994, Proceedings of 1994 4th Intersociety Conference on Thermal Phenomena in Electronic Systems (I-THERM).

[19]  Dawei Xiang,et al.  Condition Monitoring Power Module Solder Fatigue Using Inverter Harmonic Identification , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[20]  L. Dupont,et al.  Comparison of junction temperature evaluations in a power IGBT module using an IR camera and three thermo-sensitive electrical parameters , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[21]  L. Ran,et al.  Monitoring Solder Fatigue in a Power Module Using Case-Above-Ambient Temperature Rise , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[22]  Fred Wang,et al.  Junction temperature measurement of IGBTs using short circuit current , 2012, 2012 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[23]  Uwe Scheuermann,et al.  Using the chip as a temperature sensor — The influence of steep lateral temperature gradients on the Vce(T)-measurement , 2009, 2009 13th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[24]  S. Bernet,et al.  Estimation and measurement of junction temperatures in a three-level voltage source converter , 2005, Fourtieth IAS Annual Meeting. Conference Record of the 2005 Industry Applications Conference, 2005..

[25]  L. Dupont,et al.  Temperature Measurement of Power Semiconductor Devices by Thermo-Sensitive Electrical Parameters—A Review , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[26]  Robert D. Lorenz,et al.  Active thermal control of power electronics modules , 2003 .

[27]  Stéphane Lefebvre,et al.  Degradation behavior of 600 V-200 A IGBT modules under power cycling and high temperature environment conditions , 2007, Microelectron. Reliab..

[28]  Wolfgang Fichtner,et al.  Measurement of the transient junction temperature in MOSFET devices under operating conditions , 2007, Microelectron. Reliab..

[29]  M. Nowak,et al.  Measurement of temperature sensitive parameter characteristics of semiconductor silicon and silicon -carbide power devices , 2008, 2008 13th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference.

[30]  G. Nicoletti,et al.  Fast power cycling test of IGBT modules in traction application , 1997, Proceedings of Second International Conference on Power Electronics and Drive Systems.

[31]  H. R. Plumlee,et al.  Accuracy of junction temperature measurement in silicon power transistor , 1966 .

[32]  Seung-Ki Sul,et al.  On-line estimation of IGBT junction temperature using on-state voltage drop , 1998, Conference Record of 1998 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. Thirty-Third IAS Annual Meeting (Cat. No.98CH36242).

[33]  Bing Ji,et al.  In Situ Diagnostics and Prognostics of Wire Bonding Faults in IGBT Modules for Electric Vehicle Drives , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[34]  Volker Pickert,et al.  On-line Monitoring of the MOSFET Device Junction Temperature by Computation of the Threshold Voltage , 2006 .

[35]  Vanessa Smet.  Aging and failure modes of IGBT power modules undergoing power cycling in high temperature environments , 2010 .

[36]  Z. Arbanas.  High power density 1 MW motor inverter , 1997, 1997 IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference Record.

[37]  Zoubir Khatir,et al.  Investigations on junction temperature estimation based on junction voltage measurements , 2010, Microelectron. Reliab..

[38]  Johann W. Kolar,et al.  Current and Temperature Measurement Concepts Enabling Intelligent Gate Drives , 2011 .

[39]  Hui Huang,et al.  A Lifetime Estimation Technique for Voltage Source Inverters , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[40]  Stig Munk-Nielsen,et al.  Lifetime investigation of high power IGBT modules , 2011, Proceedings of the 2011 14th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[41]  D. Berning,et al.  Power MOSFET temperature measurements , 1982, 1982 IEEE Power Electronics Specialists conference.

[42]  D. Theilliol,et al.  A New Fault Detection Technique for IGBT Based on Gate Voltage Monitoring , 2007, 2007 IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference.

[43]  Peter Tavner,et al.  Condition Monitoring for Device Reliability in Power Electronic Converters: A Review , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[44]  M. Liserre,et al.  Reactive power influence on the thermal cycling of multi-MW wind power inverter , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[45]  Mingwei Xu,et al.  Investigation of gate voltage oscillations in an IGBT module after partial bond wires lift-off , 2013, Microelectron. Reliab..

[46]  E. R. Motto,et al.  IGBT module with user accessible on-chip current and temperature sensors , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[47]  Jorg Roth-Stielow,et al.  Lifetime as a control variable in power electronic systems , 2010, 2010 Emobility - Electrical Power Train.

[48]  Dong Jiang,et al.  Development of Si IGBT Phase-Leg Modules for Operation at 200 °C in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Applications , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[49]  L. Dupont,et al.  Comparison of Junction Temperature Evaluations in a Power IGBT Module Using an IR Camera and Three Thermosensitive Electrical Parameters , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[50]  A. Castellazzi,et al.  Temperature adaptive IGBT gate-driver design , 2011, Proceedings of the 2011 14th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[51]  Bruno Allard,et al.  An estimation method of the channel temperature of power MOS devices , 2000, 2000 IEEE 31st Annual Power Electronics Specialists Conference. Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37018).

[52]  J.D. van Wyk,et al.  Void induced thermal impedance in power semiconductor modules: some transient temperature effects , 2001, Conference Record of the 2001 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. 36th IAS Annual Meeting (Cat. No.01CH37248).

[53]  Vijay K. Garg,et al.  Prognostic and Warning System for Power-Electronic Modules in Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel-Cell Vehicles , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[54]  A. Keyhani,et al.  Control of distributed generation systems - Part II: Load sharing control , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[55]  Wolfgang Fichtner,et al.  Lifetime modeling of thermomechanics-related failure mechanisms in high power IGBT modules for traction applications , 2003, ISPSD '03. 2003 IEEE 15th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs, 2003. Proceedings..

[56]  L. Dupont,et al.  Evaluation of IGBT thermo-sensitive electrical parameters under different dissipation conditions - Comparison with infrared measurements , 2012, Microelectron. Reliab..

[57]  Michael J. Roemer,et al.  Online Ringing Characterization as a Diagnostic Technique for IGBTs in Power Drives , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.

[58]  Michel Mermet-Guyennet,et al.  Temperature measurement on series resistance and devices in power packs based on on-state voltage drop monitoring at high current , 2006, Microelectron. Reliab..

[59]  Wolfgang Fichtner,et al.  New technique for the measurement of the static and of the transient junction temperature in IGBT devices under operating conditions , 2006, Microelectron. Reliab..