Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles

Abstract Lifetime models of high‐power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors modules express the number of cycles to end of life as a function of stress parameters. These models are normally developed based on experimental data from accelerated power‐cycling tests performed at predefined temperature st...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Magnar Hernes, Salvatore D'Arco, Antonios Antonopoulos, Dimosthenis Peftitsis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-05-01
Series:IET Power Electronics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1049/pel2.12083
_version_ 1817977366459187200
author Magnar Hernes
Salvatore D'Arco
Antonios Antonopoulos
Dimosthenis Peftitsis
author_facet Magnar Hernes
Salvatore D'Arco
Antonios Antonopoulos
Dimosthenis Peftitsis
author_sort Magnar Hernes
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lifetime models of high‐power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors modules express the number of cycles to end of life as a function of stress parameters. These models are normally developed based on experimental data from accelerated power‐cycling tests performed at predefined temperature stress conditions as, for example, with temperature swings above 60 °C. However, in real power converters applications, the power modules are usually stressed at temperature cycles not exceeding 40 °C. Thus, extrapolating the parameters of lifetime models developed using data from high‐temperature stress cycles experiments might result in erroneous lifetime estimations. This paper presents experimental results from power cycling tests on high‐power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors modules subjected to low temperature stress cycles of 30 and 40 °C. Therefore, devices experience still accelerated aging but with stress conditions much closer to the real application. Post‐mortem failure analysis has been performed on the modules reaching end‐of‐life in order to identify the failure mechanism. Finally, the number of cycles to end‐of‐life obtained experimentally is fit with a state‐of‐the‐art lifetime model to assess its validity at low temperature stress cycles. Challenges and limitations on data fitting to this lifetime model and the impact of various stress parameters on the anticipated failure are also presented.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T22:15:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-4daffe2afacd412495e9be96ad87d11c
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1755-4535
1755-4543
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T22:15:26Z
publishDate 2021-05-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series IET Power Electronics
spelling doaj.art-4daffe2afacd412495e9be96ad87d11c2022-12-22T02:27:33ZengWileyIET Power Electronics1755-45351755-45432021-05-011471271128310.1049/pel2.12083Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cyclesMagnar Hernes0Salvatore D'Arco1Antonios Antonopoulos2Dimosthenis Peftitsis3SINTEF Energi AS Trondheim NorwaySINTEF Energi AS Trondheim NorwaySchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering National Technical University of Athens Iroon Polytechniou 9 Zografou GreeceDepartment of Electric Power Engineering Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU O.S. Bragstadsplass 2E Trondheim NorwayAbstract Lifetime models of high‐power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors modules express the number of cycles to end of life as a function of stress parameters. These models are normally developed based on experimental data from accelerated power‐cycling tests performed at predefined temperature stress conditions as, for example, with temperature swings above 60 °C. However, in real power converters applications, the power modules are usually stressed at temperature cycles not exceeding 40 °C. Thus, extrapolating the parameters of lifetime models developed using data from high‐temperature stress cycles experiments might result in erroneous lifetime estimations. This paper presents experimental results from power cycling tests on high‐power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors modules subjected to low temperature stress cycles of 30 and 40 °C. Therefore, devices experience still accelerated aging but with stress conditions much closer to the real application. Post‐mortem failure analysis has been performed on the modules reaching end‐of‐life in order to identify the failure mechanism. Finally, the number of cycles to end‐of‐life obtained experimentally is fit with a state‐of‐the‐art lifetime model to assess its validity at low temperature stress cycles. Challenges and limitations on data fitting to this lifetime model and the impact of various stress parameters on the anticipated failure are also presented.https://doi.org/10.1049/pel2.12083ReliabilityBipolar transistorsPower semiconductor devicesInsulated gate field effect transistors
spellingShingle Magnar Hernes
Salvatore D'Arco
Antonios Antonopoulos
Dimosthenis Peftitsis
Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
IET Power Electronics
Reliability
Bipolar transistors
Power semiconductor devices
Insulated gate field effect transistors
title Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
title_full Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
title_fullStr Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
title_full_unstemmed Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
title_short Failure analysis and lifetime assessment of IGBT power modules at low temperature stress cycles
title_sort failure analysis and lifetime assessment of igbt power modules at low temperature stress cycles
topic Reliability
Bipolar transistors
Power semiconductor devices
Insulated gate field effect transistors
url https://doi.org/10.1049/pel2.12083
work_keys_str_mv AT magnarhernes failureanalysisandlifetimeassessmentofigbtpowermodulesatlowtemperaturestresscycles
AT salvatoredarco failureanalysisandlifetimeassessmentofigbtpowermodulesatlowtemperaturestresscycles
AT antoniosantonopoulos failureanalysisandlifetimeassessmentofigbtpowermodulesatlowtemperaturestresscycles
AT dimosthenispeftitsis failureanalysisandlifetimeassessmentofigbtpowermodulesatlowtemperaturestresscycles