Reliability of Power Electronics Under Thermal Loading

Power electronics have replaced many traditional ways to control the generation, distribution, storage, and use of energy resulting in great improvements in efficiency. The widespread use of power electronics has made it critical that their reliability be characterized and enhanced. This paper will discuss the dominant failure mechanisms in power electronic components, including the power module, capacitors, and boards. Specific focus will be placed on the power module interconnects including wirebonds, planar interconnect, die attach, and substrates, and the reliability concerns associated with increased power levels, increased power density, and higher junction temperatures. Ways of improving reliability through packaging design will be presented.