Full electro-thermal model of a 6.5kV field-stop IGBT module

As the integration level of power electronics equipment increases, the coupling between multi-domain physical effects becomes more and more relevant for design optimization. At the same time, virtual analysis capability acquires a critical importance and is conditioned by the achievement of an adequate compromise between accuracy and computational effort. This paper proposes the compact model development of a 6.5 kV field-stop IGBT module, for use in a circuit simulation environment. The model considers the realistic connection of IGBT and anti-parallel freewheeling diode pairs: the description of semiconductor physics is coupled with self-heating effects, both at device and module level; electro-magnetic phenomena associated with the package and layout are also taken into account. The modeling approach follows a mixed physical and behavioral description, resulting in an ideal compromise for realistic analysis of multi-chip structures. Finally, selected examples, derived from a railway traction application scenario, demonstrate the validity of the proposed solution, both for simulation of short transients and periodic operation, qualifying the model as a support tool of general validity, from system design development to reliability investigations.