Comprehensive Compact Models for the Circuit Simulation of Multichip Power Modules

This paper proposes the model development of a packaged semiconductor power module, for use in a circuit simulation environment. Focusing on railway traction applications, it considers a state-of-the-art 6.5 kV insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module, taking into account the antiparallel connection of IGBTs and free-wheeling diodes, and including all main electrothermal and electromagnetic effects associated with the multichip structure. The description of semiconductor physics is coupled with self-heating effects; electromagnetic phenomena associated with the packaging, layout, and interconnections are also taken into account. To optimize the compromise between accuracy and computational effort, the device models are based on a mixed physical and behavioral description, and are scalable to be representative of a desired number of parallel devices and to allow for the introduction of parasitic elements, as required. Electromagnetic effects are modeled by means of equivalent lumped elements, extracted by numerical simulation of an accurate 3-D structural assembly model. The description of transient thermal phenomena relies on a finite-difference approach that considers the use of both essentially 1-D lumped equivalent models and fully 3-D distributed description. The model is validated statically and dynamically, against both data-sheet information and measurements; a selection of simulation examples demonstrates its usefulness and versatility. Although developed for a specific application scenario, the proposed approach is of general validity.