Condition monitoring (CM) has already been proven to be a cost effective means of enhancing reliability and improving customer service in power equipment, such as transformers and rotating electrical machinery. CM for power semiconductor devices in power electronic converters is at a more embryonic stage; however, as progress is made in understanding semiconductor device failure modes, appropriate sensor technologies, and signal processing techniques, this situation will rapidly improve. This technical review is carried out with the aim of describing the current state of the art in CM research for power electronics. Reliability models for power electronics, including dominant failure mechanisms of devices are described first. This is followed by a description of recently proposed CM techniques. The benefits and limitations of these techniques are then discussed. It is intended that this review will provide the basis for future developments in power electronics CM.

Condition Monitoring for Device Reliability in Power Electronic Converters: A Review

The numerous advantages of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power modules and their ongoing development for higher voltage and current ratings make them interesting for traction applications. These applications imply high reliability requirements. One important requirement is the ability to withstand power cycles. Power cycles cause temperature changes which lead to a mechanical stress that can result in a failure. Lifting of bond wires is thereby the predominant failure mechanism. A fast power cycling test method activating the main failure mechanism has been developed which allows reproduction of millions of temperature changes in a short time. The applicability of fast testing is supported by a mechanical analysis. Test results show the number of cycles to failure as a function of temperature changes for an IGBT single switch. A descriptive model is deduced from the results.

Fast power cycling test of IGBT modules in traction application

Recent growth of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module market has been driven largely by the increasing demand for an efficient way to control and distribute power in the field of renewable energy, hybrid/electric vehicles, and industrial equipment. For safety-critical and mission-critical applications, the reliability of IGBT modules is still a concern. Understanding the physics-of-failure of IGBT modules has been critical to the development of effective condition monitoring (CM) techniques as well as reliable prognostic methods. This review paper attempts to summarize past developments and recent advances in the area of CM and prognostics for IGBT modules. The improvement in material, fabrication, and structure is described. The CM techniques and prognostic methods proposed in the literature are presented. This paper concludes with recommendations for future research topics in the CM and prognostics areas.

Physics-of-Failure, Condition Monitoring, and Prognostics of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Modules: A Review

In order to take the full advantage of the high-temperature SiC and GaN operating devices, package materials able to withstand high-temperature storage and large thermal cycles have been investigated. The temperature under consideration here are higher than 200 °C. Such temperatures are required for several potential applications such as down-hole oil and gas industry for well logging, aircrafts, automotive, and space exploration. This review focuses on the reliability of a selection of potential components or materials used in the package assembly as the substrates, the die attaches, the interconnections, and the encapsulation materials. It reveals that, substrates with low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) conductors or with higher fracture resistant ceramics are potential candidates for high temperatures. Die attaches and interconnections reliable solutions are also available with the use of compatible metallization schemes. At this level, the reliability can also be improved by reducing the CTE mismatch between assembled materials. The encapsulation remains the most limiting packaging component since hard materials present thermomechanical reliability issues, while soft materials have low degradation temperatures. The review allows identifying reliable components and materials for high-temperature wide bandgap semiconductors and is expected to be very useful for researchers working for the development on high-temperature electronics.

Survey of High-Temperature Reliability of Power Electronics Packaging Components

Active thermal control techniques make it feasible to regulate the steady state and transient thermal-mechanical stress in power electronic modules for applications such as motor drives. Online junction temperature estimation and manipulation of the switching frequency and current limit to regulate the losses are used to prevent overtemperature and power cycling failures in insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power modules. The techniques developed in this work are used to actively control the junction temperature of the power module. This control strategy improves power module reliability and increases utilization of the silicon thermal capacity by providing sustained operation at maximum attainable performance limits.

/pdf/active-thermal-control-of-power-electronics-modules-3vzgecbj87.pdf

Active thermal control of power electronics modules

IGBT power semiconductor modules have become of the utmost importance for traction applications. Their control circuitry is of much lower expenditure than those for GTOs. Power converters for tramways, elevators and railway locomotives will be equipped with IGBT modules in the future. However, the reliability of these power modules is still a serious concern, compared to the comparable good reliability of GTO presspack technology. Although first approaches have already been announced, the presspacking of IGBTs is a rather difficult and expensive process, because of the complex IGBT structure and the wafer processing yields in IGBT wafer manufacturing. On the other hand, tough operation conditions in case of traction applications cause reliability requirements which need significant improvements of the present conventional wire bond/die-attach module packaging technology. Reliability tests, which should represent traction operation of modules in the field, show that wire bonding and soldering may cause failures of the modules. The paper presents analysis results and ways of how these problems might be solved.

Reliability testing and analysis of IGBT power semiconductor modules

Thermomechanical stress behavior and its influence on the reliability of large area die bonding of 400 A/1200 V IGBT modules were studied in this paper. The forming and growing process of voids and cracks in the solder layers of fine-prepared IGBT cross sectional samples was quasi-dynamically observed during thermal cycling test. In consideration of the thermal mismatch in IGBT packaging, thermal stress behavior in an IGBT sandwich structure versus temperature changes, was numerically simulated and supported by the experimental results.

Thermal stress related packaging failure in power IGBT modules

Thermal behavior of power insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules was studied in this paper experimentally. Due primarily to the thermal mismatch in IGBT sandwich structure, thermal stress induced solder fatigue failures, such as the forming and growing of voids and cracks in IGBT solder layers, were quasi-dynamically observed in thermal cycling test. Thermal stress simulation provided stress distribution and bending deformation in IGBT packaging numerically, which is in agreement with the test results. Emitter bonding wire lifting failure and local overheat induced chip burn-out failure, both observed in intermittent operating test, indicate that thermal nonuniform distribution is a main reason affecting IGBT reliability. The study results of this paper are profitable to high reliable IGBT module manufacture and application.

Thermal reliability of power insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules

IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) power semiconductor modules become of importance for traction applications. However, the reliability of these power modules is still a concern, compared to those of press-packed GTOs. Although first IGBT-press-pack solutions have been presented to the market, IGBT-presspacking remains difficult and expensive. Besides this, customers prefer module technology solutions, because of their economical advantage and easiness of device mounting. Reliability tests have been developed and modules have been analyzed to judge critical reliability points and to show ways for improvement.

IGBT power semiconductor reliability analysis for traction application

More than forty 300 A/400 A 1200 V IGBT modules, coming from different manufactures, were studied by an intermittent operating life test (power cycling) in order to estimate the long term reliability of the modern power IGBT modules. The test results and the failure analysis results indicate that no module could pass 10/sup 6/ power cycles and most tested modules failed in emitter bonding wire lifting from the bonding pad. Besides, recrystallization and migration in bonding pad metallization, electrothermal migration caused bonding wire breaking, and local overheat induced die burn-out failure were also observed in this study.

Investigation on the long term reliability of power IGBT modules

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