Title :
Operation of power semiconductors at their thermal limit
Author :
Rodrigues, R.G. ; Piccone, D.E. ; Tobin, W.H. ; Willinger, L.W. ; Barrow, J.A. ; Hansen, T.A. ; Zhao, J. ; Cao, L.
Author_Institution :
Silicon Power Corp., Malvern, PA, USA
Abstract :
Based on experience gained with Si power devices, a review is presented of some of the thermal limitations to the operation of power semiconductor devices, which are encountered in steady state operation, but also, much more stringently, under switching and pulse power transients. Devices based on SiC are expected to be capable of steady-state operation at much higher temperature than Si devices. Here the authors discuss predictable failure mechanisms of SiC devices at the extremely high temperatures reached under surge conditions, and their life expectancy under thermal cycling operation.
Keywords :
failure analysis; power semiconductor switches; reviews; semiconductor device models; semiconductor device reliability; silicon compounds; switching transients; thermal analysis; SiC; SiC devices; high-temperature operation; life expectancy; power semiconductor operation; predictable failure mechanisms; pulse power transients; steady state operation; surge conditions; switching transients; thermal cycling operation; thermal limitations; Cooling; Costs; Electrical equipment industry; Insulated gate bipolar transistors; Military aircraft; Power semiconductor switches; Silicon carbide; Temperature; Thermal degradation; Thyristors;
Conference_Titel :
Industry Applications Conference, 1998. Thirty-Third IAS Annual Meeting. The 1998 IEEE
Conference_Location :
St. Louis, MO, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-4943-1
DOI :
10.1109/IAS.1998.730259
