The thermal design constraint of power electronic converters under the specific power loss and heat sink is mainly determined by the maximum permissible junction temperature of the power devices. As the power density and switching frequency increase, transient electro-thermal models become more and more important for the thermal management system design of the power electronic converters. In traction inverters, the junction temperature has huge variation because the fundamental frequency and phase currents vary significantly during the load cycles. Thus, the junction temperature estimation becomes extremely important for the reliability of traction inverters. In this thesis, the transient electro-thermal analysis of a traction inverter considering the inter-dependency of the power losses and junction temperature in an iterative process is implemented. Considering the impact of circuit stray parameters on the switching loss, the temperature dependent power loss model is built based on the datasheet values and the measured switching losses. A state-of-the-art thermal model of the entire inverter including the power modules and the heat sink is developed considering the thermal coupling effects of multiple power devices. By using transient thermal simulation, the linearity of the heat transfer process of the entire traction inverter is verified. The impact of the material thermal properties on the thermal impedance is also presented. In addition, the accuracy of the combination of the thermal subsystem models is verified with simulation. The developed transient electro-thermal model is then used to simulate the junction temperature profiles of the inverter under different operating conditions. Finally, the developed model is experimentally verified. By considering the thermal impedance of the thermal grease layer, the simulation results match with the experimental results very well. The proposed electro-thermal model can provide important information for the thermal management system design, package optimization, long-term reliability analysis, and maximum rating characterization of the traction inverters. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Lighting technologies have evolved over the years to become higher quality, more efficient sources of light. LEDs are poised to become the market standard for general lighting because they are the most power efficient form of lighting and do not contain hazardous materials. Unfortunately, LEDs pose unique problems because advanced thermal management is required to remove the high heat fluxes generated by such relatively small devices. These problems have already been overcome with complex packaging and exotic materials, but high costs are preventing this technology from displacing current lighting technologies. The purpose of this study is to develop a low-cost LED lighting package capable of successfully managing heat. Several designs were created and analyzed based on cost, thermal performance, ease of manufacturing, and reliability. A unique design was created which meet these requirements. This design was eventually assembled as a prototype and initial testing was conducted. This thesis reviews the design process and eventual results of the LED package design.

Semiconductor devices are widely used in the automotive industry, and they are key components of the inverter and the converter in an electric vehicle. Thus, the concern of protecting the inverter and the converter from damaging operation has been raised. The junction temperature is one of the main considerations. It is directly related to the inverter power loss and overheat which can lead to fatigue or even failures. Therefore, to protect the semiconductor device from thermal runaway and apply active thermal control, the junction temperature must be obtained.To derive the junction temperature of an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a diode, an instant model is proposed.   The instant model updates the junction temperature at the PWM switching frequency (around 2-5 kHz in this thesis). Compared with the traditional algorithm which calculates the average temperature over one fundamental cycle, the instant algorithm can show the instant temperature swing.  A high power IGBT module, FF1200R12IE5 Infineon, is selected to verify the algorithm with temperature results from IPOSIM and Power HIL tests. The temperature deviations for different cases are below 6 ◦C and the relative errors are below 10 %.With an accurate estimation of the junction temperature, the current limit is set to avoid that average temperature, maximum temperature and temperature swing exceed their limits. The currentlimits are derived from the curve/ surface fitting method. / Halvledare används mycket i fordonsindustrin, och är viktiga komponenter i växelriktare i elektriska fordon. Vikten av att skydda växelriktarna från skadliga driftsförhållanden ökat. Övergångstempe- raturen hos halvledarna är en av de viktigaste parametern att beakta. Den är direkt relaterad till väx- elriktarens förluster, vilket kan leda till termisk utmattning, och i värsta fall haveri. För att skydda halvledarna från termisk rusning och tillämpa aktiv termisk styrning måste övergångstemperaturen kunna uppskattas.För att härleda övergångstemperaturen hos en Insulated-Gate-Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) och en diod föreslås en momentan modell. Den momentana modellen uppdaterar övergångstemperaturen vid PWM-frekvensen (cirka 2-5 kHz i denna avhandling). Jämfört med den traditionella algoritmen som beräknar medeltemperaturen under en grundtonscykel kan den momentana algoritmen visa den omedelbara temperatursvängningen. En IGBT-modul, Infineon FF1200R12IE5, valdes för att verifiera algoritmen mot resultat från simuleringar och mätningar. Temperaturavvikelserna för olika fall är under 6 ◦C och de relativa felen är under 10 %.Med en noggrann uppskattning av övergångstemperaturen kan strömgränsen ställas in för att undvika att medel- och maxtemperaturen och temperatursvängningenen överskrider sina gränser.Strömgränserna härleds genom kurv- och ytanpassning.

Due to the limitations of silicon (Si), there is a paradigm shift in research focusing on wide-bandgap-based (WBG) materials. SiC power semiconductors exhibit superiority in terms of switching speed, higher breakdown electric field, and high working temperature, slowly becoming a global solution in harsh medium-voltage (MV) high-power environments. However, to utilize the SiC MOSFET device to achieve those next-generation, high-density, high-efficiency power electronics converters, one must solve a plethora of challenges. For the MV SiC MOSFET device, a high-performance gate-driver (GD) is a key component required to maximize the beneficial SiC MOSFET characteristics. GD units must overcome associated challenges of electro-magnetic interference (EMI) with regards to common-mode (CM) currents and cross-talk, low driving loop inductance required for fast switching, and device short-circuit (SC) protection. Developed GDs (for 1.2 kV, and 10 kV devices) are able to sustain dv/dt higher than 100 V/ns, have less than 5 nH gate loop inductance, and SC protection, turning off the device within 1.5 us. Even with the introduction of SiC MOSFETs, power devices remain the most reliability-critical component in the converter, due to large junction temperature (Tj) fluctuations causing accelerated wear-out. Real-time (online) measurement of the Tj can help improve long-term reliability by enabling active thermal control, monitoring, and prognostics. An online Tj estimation is accomplished by generating integrated intelligence on the GD level. The developed Tj sensor exhibits a maximum error less than 5 degrees Celsius, having excellent repeatability of 1.2 degrees Celsius. Additionally, degradation monitoring and an aging compensation scheme are discussed, in order to maintain the accuracy of the sensor throughout the device's lifetime. Since ultra high-voltage SiC MOSFET devices (20 kV) are impractical, the modular multilevel converter (MMC) emerged as a prospective topology to achieve MV power conversion. If the kernal part of the power-cell (main constitutive part of the MMC converter) is an SiC MOSFET, the design is able to achieve very high-density and high-efficiency. To ensure a successful operation of the power-cell, a systematic design and assessment methodology (DAM) is explored, based on the 10 kV SiC MOSFET power-cell. It simultaneously addresses challenges of high-voltage insulation, high dv/dt and EMI, component and system protections, as well as thermal management. The developed power-cell achieved high-power density of 11.9 kW/l, with measured peak efficiency of n=99.3 %@10 kHz. It successfully operated at Vdc=6 kV, I=84 A, fsw>5 kHz, Tj<150 degrees Celsius and had high switching speeds over 100 V/ns. Lastly, to achieve high-power density and high-efficiency on the MV converter level, challenges of high-voltage insulation, high-bandwidth control, EMI, and thermal management must be solved. Novel switching cycle control (SCC) and integrated capacitor blocked-transistor (ICBT) control methodologies were developed, overcoming the drawbacks of conventional MMC control. These novel types of control enable extreme reduction in passive component size, increase the efficiency, and can operate in dc/dc, dc/ac, mode, potentially opening the modular converter to applications in which it was not previously used. In order to explore the aforementioned benefits, a modular, scalable, 2-cell per arm, prototype MV converter based on the developed power-cell is constructed. The converter successfully operated at Vdc=12 kV, I=28 A, fsw=10 kHz, with high switching speeds, exhibiting high transient immunity in both SCC and ICBT. / Doctor of Philosophy / In medium-voltage applications, such as an electric grid interface in highly populated areas, a ship dc system, a motor drive, renewable energy, etc., land and space can be very limited and expensive. This requires the attributes of high-density, high-efficiency, and reliable distribution by a power electronics converter, whose central piece is the semiconductor device. With the recent breakthrough of SiC devices, these characteristics are obtainable, due to SiC inherent superiority over conventional Si devices. However, to achieve them, several challenges must be overcome and are tackled by this dissertation. Firstly, as a key component required to maximize the beneficial SiC MOSFET characteristics, it is of utmost importance that the high-performance gate-driver be immune to interference issues caused by fast switching and be able to protect the device against a short-circuit, thus increasing the reliability of the system. Secondly, to prevent accelerated degradation of the semiconductor devices due to high-temperature fluctuations, real-time (online) measurement of the Tj is developed on the gate-driver to help improve long-term reliability. Thirdly, to achieve medium-voltage high-power density, high-efficiency modular power conversion, a converter block (power-cell) is developed that simultaneously addresses the challenges of high-voltage insulation, high interference, component and system protections, and thermal management. Lastly, a full-scale medium-voltage modular converter is developed, exploiting the advantages of the fast commutation speed and high switching frequency offered by SiC, meanwhile exhibiting exceptional power density and efficiency.

Le marché des diodes électroluminescentes (LEDs) de puissance est en perpétuelle croissance depuis une vingtaine d’années. Le marché de l’éclairage évolue car les besoins ont changé : nous souhaitons, par exemple, aujourd’hui réduire la consommation électrique, ou avoir des éclairages plus flexibles (couleur, cycle d’allumage, encombrement, …). Les LEDs de puissance permettent d’apporter des solutions où les autres éclairages font défauts. Une étude comparative est menée entre les LEDs et les autres sources d’éclairages. Une LED de puissance émettant une lumière blanche est constituée d’une puce semi-conductrice, d’un substrat, d’un PAD et d’une optique primaire. Différentes méthodes permettent d’obtenir de la lumière blanche avec des LEDs : plusieurs puces, une puce avec un ou des luminophores, ou la méthode PRS-LED. Le luminophore a un rôle optique important et un rôle thermique non négligeable. Après avoir été excité par la lumière émise de la puce, il réémet de la lumière dans une longueur d’onde supérieure. L’efficacité de ce processus dépend de nombreux paramètres, comme la mise en oeuvre du luminophore ou le type de luminophore utilisé. L’étude et la caractérisation des propriétés optiques et thermiques sont faites pour des LEDs commerciales, composées d’une même puce émettant de la lumière bleue, avec et sans luminophore jaune. Afin de maitriser le maximum de facteurs, nous avons mené une étude et un dimensionnement du circuit imprimé (PCB) sur lequel va être implanté nos LEDs. Dans le but d’évaluer les matériaux constituant les LEDs, des analyses au microscope à balayage électronique et par microsonde ont été menées. Ces travaux ont permis de révéler, notamment, la position de la jonction p-n dans la puce et la composition de la couche de luminophore par deux types différents. De plus, afin d’améliorer notre compréhension, une étude comparative a été menée sur trois luminophores jaunes. Ensuite, les deux types de LEDs, puce nue et puce avec luminophore, ont été testés dans le but d’obtenir le flux lumineux et le rendement des LEDs. La caractérisation optique nous a amené à créer un banc pour obtenir la luminance énergétique spectrale sur une partie minime de la puce. D’autre part, nous nous intéressons à la température de jonction de la puce nue, que nous mesurons par différentes méthodes, dont la thermographie infrarouge. Pour cela, l’émissivité a été estimée pour la puce nue et la puce avec luminophore. Puis nous comparons aussi ces différentes méthodes pour le calcul de la résistance thermique Rth j-PAD entre la jonction et le PAD. Le maillage de fils conducteurs implanté sur la surface de la puce est modélisé électriquement. Cette étude, qui est composée de niveaux progressifs de modélisation, permet de comprendre la répartition du courant électrique qui traverse la jonction, et ainsi d’appréhender la répartition du flux lumineux et de la température au niveau de la surface de la puce. Après, un modèle thermo-optique décrit les phénomènes présents au niveau de la jonction d’une puce nue : la conversion de la puissance électrique en lumière bleue et en chaleur, et les transferts de chaleur. Nous complétons ce premier modèle pour obtenir un modèle d’une puce avec le luminophore. Ce dernier modèle prend en compte la photo-conversion du luminophore avec le calcul de flux lumineux à la sortie du luminophore et le calcul de la chaleur due à la photo-conversion. La résolution de ce modèle nous permet d’obtenir la température de jonction d’une puce avec luminophore. La conservation d’énergie du modèle est aussi vérifiée. Le modèle thermo-optique est appliqué à une cartographie de température de surface afin d’obtenir une cartographie de la température de jonction. Ces cartographies sont regroupées avec les clichés de thermographie infrarouge et de luminance énergétique. / The high brightness LED market is constantly growing last twenty years. The lighting market is changing as needs have changed: we would like, for example, reduce power consumption, or have more flexible lighting (color, lighting cycle, dimensions ...). High brightness LEDs help provide solutions where others are lighting defects. A comparative study is conducted between the LEDs and other lighting sources.The operation of a high brightness LED emitting white light is explained with the description of each element: chip, substrate, the PAD and optics. Then the different methods of obtaining white light with LEDs are compared: several chips, a chip with one or more phosphors, or PRS-LED method. The phosphor has a significant optical role and an important thermal role. After being excited by the light emitted from the chip, it re-emits light in a greater wavelength. The effectiveness of this process depends on many parameters, such as the implementation of the phosphor, or the type of phosphor used. The study and characterization of optical and thermal properties are made for commercial LEDs, composed of a single chip emitting blue light with and without yellow phosphor. To master the maximum factors, we conducted a study and design of the printed circuit board (PCB) on which will be implanted our LEDs. In order to evaluate the materials constituting the LEDs, analyzes made at scanning electron microscope, and by microprobe were conducted. This work has revealed in particular the position of the p-n junction in the chip, and the composition of the phosphor layer of two different types. Moreover, to improve our understanding, a comparative study will be conducted on three yellow phosphors. Then the two types of LEDs, bare chip and chip with phosphor, were tested in order to obtain the luminous flux and efficiency of LEDs. The optical characterization has led us to create a bench for spectral radiance over a small portion of the chip. Furthermore, we are interested in the junction temperature of the bare chip, which we measure by various methods, including infrared thermography. For this, the emissivity was estimated for the bare chip and the chip with phosphor. Then we also compare these different methods to calculate the thermal resistance Rth j-PAD between the junction and the PAD. The mesh of conductive wires, implanted on the surface of the chip, is electrically modeled. The study, which is composed of three progressive levels of modeling, provides an understanding of distribution of the electric current through the junction, and thus to understand the distribution of the light flow and temperature at the surface of the chip. Afterwards, an optical-thermal model describes the phenomena present at the junction of a bare chip: converting electrical power into blue light and heat, and heat transfer. We complete this first model for a model of a chip with the phosphor. This model takes into account the photo-conversion of the phosphor with the calculation of the luminous flux at the output of the phosphor and the calculation of the heat due to the photo-conversion. The resolution of this model allows us to obtain the junction temperature of a chip with phosphor. The model of energy conservation is also verified. The optical-thermal model is applied to a surface temperature mapping in order to obtain a mapping of the junction temperature. These maps are combined with pictures of infrared thermography and radiance.

No description available.

Eine kompakte Integration der Leistungselektronik in einem Fahrzeuggetriebe des Hybridfahrzeugs stellt hohe Anforderungen an die Lastwechselfestigkeit der Halbleiter-Leistungsmodule. Gefordert wird die Auslegung für die Kühlmitteltemperatur von 125°C und für die Sperrschichttemperatur von 200°C. Für die Untersuchung der Lastwechselfestigkeit bei geforderten hohen Temperaturen werden neue Prüfstandskonzepte und Messmethoden vorgestellt. Mit realisierten Testständen wird die Lastwechselfestigkeit der neuen Aufbau- und Verbindungstechnologien „gehärtete Aluminiumbonddrähte”, „Diffusionslöten”, „Lötung mit vertikalen Strukturen” und „Niedertemperatur-Verbindungstechnik” untersucht. / High power density of the power electronics in a hybrid electric vehicle demands a high power cycling capability of the semiconductor power module. Requirements are: 125°C coolant and 200°C junction temperature. For the investigation of the power cycling capability at high temperatures new test benches and measurement methods are introduces. With realized methods the reliability of following new interconnection technologies is investigated: doped aluminium bond wires, diffusion soldering, solder layer with vertical microstructures, low temperature sinter technology.

Dans le cas des installations photovoltaïques, l’onduleur est le premier élément défaillant dont il est difficile d’anticiper la panne, et peu d’études ont été faites sur la fiabilité de ce type de convertisseur. L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des outils et méthodes en vue d'étudier le vieillissement des modules de puissance dans ce type d'application en se focalisant sur les phénomènes de dégradation liés à des aspects thermomécaniques. En règle générale, le vieillissement accéléré des modules de puissance est effectué dans des conditions aggravées de courant (Cyclage Actif) ou de température (Cyclage Passif) pour accélérer les processus de vieillissement. Malheureusement, en appliquant ce type de vieillissement accéléré, des mécanismes de défaillances qui ne se produisent pas dans la vraie application peuvent être observés et, inversement, d'autres mécanismes qui se produisent habituellement peuvent ne pas apparaître. La première partie de la thèse se focalise donc sur la mise en place d'une méthode de vieillissement accéléré des composants semi-conducteurs des onduleurs photovoltaïques. Cela est fait en s’appuyant sur l’analyse des profils de mission du courant efficace de sortie des onduleurs et de la température ambiante, extraits des centrales photovoltaïques situées au sud de la France sur plusieurs années. Ces profils sont utilisés pour étudier les dynamiques du courant photovoltaïque, et sont introduites dans des modèles numériques pour estimer les pertes et les variations de la température de jonction des semi-conducteurs utilisés dans les onduleurs, en utilisant l’algorithme de comptage de cycles "Rainflow". Cette méthode est ensuite mise en œuvre dans deux bancs expérimentaux. Dans le premier, les composants sous test sont des modules IGBT. Les composants sont mis en œuvre dans un banc de cyclage utilisant la méthode d'opposition et mettant en œuvre le profil de vieillissement défini précédemment. Un dispositif in-situ de suivi d'indicateurs de vieillissement (impédance thermique et résistance dynamique) est également proposé et évalué. Le deuxième banc est consacré à l'étude de modules de puissance à base de MOSFET SiC. Le vieillissement est effectué dans les mêmes conditions que pour les modules IGBT et de nombreux indicateurs électriques sont monitorés mais, cette fois ci, en extrayant les composants de l'onduleur de cyclage. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de déterminer des indicateurs de vieillissement d’IGBT et de MOSFET SiC utilisés dans un onduleur photovoltaïque / In the case of photovoltaic installations, the DC/AC inverter has the highest failure rate, and the anticipation of its breakdowns is still difficult, while few studies have been done on the reliability of this type of inverter. The aim of this PhD is to propose tools and methods to study the ageing of power modules in this type of application, by focusing on ageing phenomena related to thermo-mechanical aspects. As a general rule, the accelerated ageing of power modules is carried out under aggravated conditions of current (Active Cycling) or temperature (Passive Cycling) in order to accelerate the ageing process. Unfortunately, when applying this type of accelerated ageing tests, some failure mechanisms that do not occur in the real application could be observed, while inversely, other mechanisms that usually occur could not be recreated. The first part of the PhD focuses on the implementation of an accelerated ageing method of the semiconductor devices inside photovoltaic inverters. This is accomplished by analyzing the mission profiles of the inverter’s output current and ambient temperature, extracted over several years from photovoltaic power plants located in the south of France. These profiles are used to study photovoltaic current dynamics, and are introduced into numerical models to estimate losses and junction temperature variations of semiconductors used in inverters, using the cycle counting algorithm “Rainflow”. This method is then performed in two experimental test benches. In the first one, the devices under test are IGBT modules, where the accelerated ageing profile designed is implemented using the opposition method. Moreover, an in-situ setup for monitoring ageing indicators (thermal impedance and dynamic resistance) is also proposed and evaluated. The second bench is devoted to study the ageing of SiC MOSFET power modules. The accelerated ageing test is carried out under the same conditions as for the IGBT modules with more monitored electrical indicators, but this time by disconnecting the semiconductor devices from the inverter. The results obtained allowed to determine several potential ageing indicators of IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs used in a photovoltaic inverter

Eine kompakte Integration der Leistungselektronik in einem Fahrzeuggetriebe des Hybridfahrzeugs stellt hohe Anforderungen an die Lastwechselfestigkeit der Halbleiter-Leistungsmodule. Gefordert wird die Auslegung für die Kühlmitteltemperatur von 125°C und für die Sperrschichttemperatur von 200°C. Für die Untersuchung der Lastwechselfestigkeit bei geforderten hohen Temperaturen werden neue Prüfstandskonzepte und Messmethoden vorgestellt. Mit realisierten Testständen wird die Lastwechselfestigkeit der neuen Aufbau- und Verbindungstechnologien „gehärtete Aluminiumbonddrähte”, „Diffusionslöten”, „Lötung mit vertikalen Strukturen” und „Niedertemperatur-Verbindungstechnik” untersucht. / High power density of the power electronics in a hybrid electric vehicle demands a high power cycling capability of the semiconductor power module. Requirements are: 125°C coolant and 200°C junction temperature. For the investigation of the power cycling capability at high temperatures new test benches and measurement methods are introduces. With realized methods the reliability of following new interconnection technologies is investigated: doped aluminium bond wires, diffusion soldering, solder layer with vertical microstructures, low temperature sinter technology.