Micromachines

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26 pages, 7133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Performance Multi-Level Inverter with Symmetry and Simplification

by Jenn-Jong Shieh, Kuo-Ing Hwu and Sheng-Ju Chen

Micromachines 2024, 15(6), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15060766 - 7 Jun 2024

Viewed by 244

This paper presents a high-performance, multilevel inverter with symmetry and simplification. This inverter is a single-phase, seven-level symmetric switched-capacitor inverter based on the concept of the double voltage clamping circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit. Above all, only a single DC power supply [...] Read more.

This paper presents a high-performance, multilevel inverter with symmetry and simplification. This inverter is a single-phase, seven-level symmetric switched-capacitor inverter based on the concept of the double voltage clamping circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit. Above all, only a single DC power supply is used to achieve a single-phase inverter with seven levels and a voltage gain of three. In addition to analyzing the operating principle of the proposed switched-capacitor multilevel inverter in detail, the stability analysis and controller design are carried out by the state-space averaging method. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed structure are validated by some simulated results based on the PSIM simulation tool and by some experiments using FPGA as a control kernel, respectively. However, in this study, the switches were implemented by MOSFETs to meet a high switching frequency. These MOSFETs can be replaced by IGBTs in the motor drive applications so that the used switching frequency can be reduced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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18 pages, 1062 KiB

Open AccessArticle

IGBT Gate Boost Drive Technology for Promoting the Overload Capacity of Traction Converter

by Yunxin Zhang, Xiaodong Dong, Linxia Wu, Xiaoyu Wang, Ming Ma, Xianjin Huang, Yong Jin and Pengze Zhu

Micromachines 2024, 15(6), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15060738 - 31 May 2024

Viewed by 120

Abstract

Under certain circumstances, a high-speed railway may require constant acceleration or emergency braking, in which case the inverter may experience short-term overload conditions and the current passing through the IGBT will go beyond the rated design tolerance. Under overload conditions, the IGBT loss [...] Read more.

Under certain circumstances, a high-speed railway may require constant acceleration or emergency braking, in which case the inverter may experience short-term overload conditions and the current passing through the IGBT will go beyond the rated design tolerance. Under overload conditions, the IGBT loss will increase instantly, raising the power semiconductor device’s junction temperature in the process. This research examines the boosting-gate-voltage-driven IGBT control technology. It increases the gate drive voltage and the IGBT current capacity and decreases the conduction voltage drop of IGBT under short-term overload conditions, reducing the instantaneous loss and temperature rise undulation of IGBT. The working characteristics of IGBT devices are studied, and the influence of gate drive voltage on device loss and temperature rise fluctuations is analyzed. Based on the emergency acceleration and brake conditions of the actual train operation, the short-term overload characteristics of the inverter are analyzed. The optimization analysis of the boosting gate voltage under emergency conditions is carried out, and the IGBT drive circuit with gate voltage pumping function is designed. The effectiveness of the driving circuit is verified through PSpice simulation and actual switching characteristic test. According to the analysis of experimental data, it can be verified that increasing the gate voltage technology can reduce IGBT losses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

10 pages, 736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel High-Speed Split-Gate Trench Carrier-Stored Trench-Gate Bipolar Transistor with Enhanced Short-Circuit Roughness

by Zhehong Qian, Wenrong Cui, Tianyang Feng, Hang Xu, Yafen Yang, Qingqing Sun and David Wei Zhang

Micromachines 2024, 15(6), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15060680 - 22 May 2024

Viewed by 292

Abstract

A novel high-speed and process-compatible carrier-stored trench-gate bipolar transistor (CSTBT) combined with split-gate technology is proposed in this paper. The device features a split polysilicon electrode in the trench, where the left portion is equipotential with the cathode. This design mitigates the impact [...] Read more.

A novel high-speed and process-compatible carrier-stored trench-gate bipolar transistor (CSTBT) combined with split-gate technology is proposed in this paper. The device features a split polysilicon electrode in the trench, where the left portion is equipotential with the cathode. This design mitigates the impact of the anode on the trench gate, resulting in a reduction in the gate-collector capacitance (C_GC) to improve the dynamic characteristics. On the left side of the device cell, the P-layer, the carrier-stored (CS) layer and the P-body are formed from the bottom up by ion implantation and annealing. The P-layer beneath the trench bottom can decrease the electric field at the bottom of the trench, thereby improving breakdown voltage (BV) performance. Simultaneously, the highly doped CS layer strengthens the hole-accumulation effect at the cathode. Moreover, the PNP doping layers on the left form a self-biased pMOS. In a short-circuit state, the self-biased pMOS turns on at a certain collector voltage, causing the potential of the CS-layer to be clamped by the hole channel. Consequently, the short-circuit current no longer increases with the collector voltage. The simulation results reveal significant improvements in comparison with the conventional CSTBT under the same on-state voltage (1.48 V for 100 A/cm²). Specifically, the turn-off time (t_off) and turn-off loss (E_off) are reduced by 38.4% and 41.8%, respectively. The short-circuit current is decreased by 50%, while the short-circuit time of the device is increased by 2.46 times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

15 pages, 5298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Online Recognition of Fallen-Off Bond Wires in IGBT Modules

by Zhen Hu, Man Cui and Tao Shi

Micromachines 2024, 15(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030404 - 17 Mar 2024

Viewed by 754

Abstract

As a core component of power conversion systems, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules continually suffer from severe thermal damage caused by temperature swings and shear stress, resulting in fatigue failure. Bond wires falling off is one of the failure modes of IGBT [...] Read more.

As a core component of power conversion systems, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules continually suffer from severe thermal damage caused by temperature swings and shear stress, resulting in fatigue failure. Bond wires falling off is one of the failure modes of IGBT modules. Given that the number of fallen-off bond wires is a significant parameter to evaluate the health status of the IGBT modules, this paper proposes an online identification model to recognize the number of fallen-off bond wires during normal operation. Firstly, a database containing datum

V_{c e, o n} - T_{j} - I_{C}

(collector–emitter on-state voltage

V_{c e, o n}

, chip junction temperature

T_{j}

, collector current

I_{C}

) planes with different fallen-off bond wires is built based on an offline aging test. Secondly, a Foster network model and a special circuit are designed to measure the junction temperature

T_{j}

and the collector–emitter on-state voltage

V_{c e, o n}

, respectively. Thirdly, the feature points of the IGBT module represented by

V_{c e, o n}

,

T_{j}

, and

I_{C}

are given to the database to recognize the number of fallen-off bond wires according to the position of the feature points in the datum plane. The experimental results show that the proposed method can determine the fallen-off bond wires under the operation condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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16 pages, 1864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Real-Time Temperature Prediction of Power Devices Using an Improved Thermal Equivalent Circuit Model and Application in Power Electronics

by Zhen Hu, Man Cui and Xiaohua Wu

Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010063 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 888

Abstract

As a core component of photovoltaic power generation systems, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules continually suffer from severe temperature swings due to complex operation conditions and various environmental conditions, resulting in fatigue failure. The junction temperature prediction guarantees that the IGBT module [...] Read more.

As a core component of photovoltaic power generation systems, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules continually suffer from severe temperature swings due to complex operation conditions and various environmental conditions, resulting in fatigue failure. The junction temperature prediction guarantees that the IGBT module operates within the safety threshold. The thermal equivalent circuit model is a common approach to predicting junction temperature. However, the model parameters are easily affected by the solder aging. An accurate temperature prediction by the model is impossible during service. This paper proposes an improved thermal equivalent circuit model that can remove the effect of solder aging. Firstly, the solder aging process is monitored in real-time based on the case temperatures. Secondly, the model parameters are corrected by the thermal impedance from chip to baseplate based on the linear thermal characteristic. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed model can reduce the temperature prediction error by more than 90% under the same aging condition. The proposed method only depends on the case temperatures to correct the model parameters, which is more economical. In addition, the experimental and simulation analysis in this work can help students of power electronics courses have an in-depth knowledge of power devices’ mechanical structure, heat dissipation principles, temperature distribution, junction temperature monitoring, and so on. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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20 pages, 11002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Active Thermal Control of IGBT Modules Based on Finite-Time Boundedness

by Zhen Hu, Xiaohua Wu and Man Cui

Micromachines 2023, 14(11), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14112075 - 8 Nov 2023

Viewed by 871

Abstract

One of the most important causes of the failure of power electronic modules is thermal stress. Proper thermal management plays an important role in more reliable and cost-effective energy conversion. In this paper, we present an advanced active thermal control (ATC) strategy to [...] Read more.

One of the most important causes of the failure of power electronic modules is thermal stress. Proper thermal management plays an important role in more reliable and cost-effective energy conversion. In this paper, we present an advanced active thermal control (ATC) strategy to reduce a power device’s thermal stress amplitude during operation, with the aim of improving the reliability and lifetime of the conversion system. A state-space model based on a Foster-type thermal model is developed to achieve junction temperature estimation in real time. A feedback controller based on finite-time boundedness (FTB) is proposed to precisely regulate the temperature in order to reduce the thermal stress according to the temperature profile. The designed controller permits the precise control of the temperature and strongly reduces the thermal stress during fast transients in the power demand. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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35 pages, 3020 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Fatigue Effect on the Grain Groove Profile in the Case of Diffusion in Thin Polycrystalline Films of Power Electronic Devices

by Tayssir Hamieh, Ali Ibrahim and Zoubir Khatir

Micromachines 2023, 14(9), 1781; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14091781 - 17 Sep 2023

Viewed by 988

Abstract

In a previous paper, we solved the partial differential equation of Mullins’ problem in the case of the evaporation–condensation in electronic devices and gave an exact solution relative to the geometric profile of the grain boundary grooving when materials are submitted to thermal [...] Read more.

In a previous paper, we solved the partial differential equation of Mullins’ problem in the case of the evaporation–condensation in electronic devices and gave an exact solution relative to the geometric profile of the grain boundary grooving when materials are submitted to thermal and mechanical solicitation and fatigue effect. In this new research, new modelling of the grain groove profile was proposed and new analytical expressions of the groove profile, the derivative and the groove depth were obtained in the case of diffusion in thin polycrystalline films by the resolution of the fourth differential equation formulated by Mullins that supposed

y^{' 2} ≪ 1

. The obtained analytical solution gave more accurate information on the geometric characteristics of the groove that were necessary to study the depth and the width of the groove. These new findings will open a new way to study with more accuracy the problem of the evaporation–condensation combined to the diffusion phenomenon on the material surfaces with the help of the analytical solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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14 pages, 6224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Solder Layer Void Damage on the Temperature of IGBT Modules

by Pengpeng Xu, Peisheng Liu, Lei Yan and Zhao Zhang

Micromachines 2023, 14(7), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14071344 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1488

Abstract

Solder layer void is one of the main failure causes of power semiconductor devices, which will seriously affect the reliability of the devices. In this study, a 3D model of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) packaging was built by DesignModeler. Based on ANSYS [...] Read more.

Solder layer void is one of the main failure causes of power semiconductor devices, which will seriously affect the reliability of the devices. In this study, a 3D model of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) packaging was built by DesignModeler. Based on ANSYS Workbench, the influence of void size, location, solder layer type, and thickness on the temperature distribution of the IGBT module was simulated. The results show that the larger the void radius, the higher the temperature of the IGBT module. The closer the void is to the center of the solder layer, the higher the temperature of the module. The void on the top corner of the solder layer had the greatest impact on the junction temperature of the IGBT module, and the shape of the void is also one of the factors that affect the temperature of the module. The denser the void distribution, the higher the temperature of the module. The temperature of the IGBT module was reduced from 62.656 °C to 59.697 °C by using nanosilver solder paste, and the overall heat dissipation performance of the module was improved by 5%. The temperature of the module increased linearly with the increase in solder layer thickness, and the temperature increased by 0.8 °C for every 0.025 mm increase in solder layer thickness. The simulation results have a guiding significance for improving the thermal stability of IGBT modules. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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12 pages, 3873 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliability Analysis of Flip-Chip Packaging GaN Chip with Nano-Silver Solder BUMP

by Lei Yan, Peisheng Liu, Pengpeng Xu, Lipeng Tan and Zhao Zhang

Micromachines 2023, 14(6), 1245; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14061245 - 13 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1675

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices have many benefits, including high power density, small footprint, high operating voltage, and excellent power gain capability. However, in contrast to silicon carbide (SiC), its performance and reliability can be negatively impacted by its low thermal conductivity, which [...] Read more.

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices have many benefits, including high power density, small footprint, high operating voltage, and excellent power gain capability. However, in contrast to silicon carbide (SiC), its performance and reliability can be negatively impacted by its low thermal conductivity, which can cause overheating. Hence, it is necessary to provide a reliable and workable thermal management model. In this paper, a model of a flip-chip packing (FCP) GaN chip was established, and it was assigned to the Ag sinter paste structure. The different solder bumps and under bump metallurgy (UBM) were considered. The results indicated that the FCP GaN chip with underfill was a promising method because it not only reduced the size of the package model but also reduced thermal stress. When the chip was in operation, the thermal stress was about 79 MPa, only 38.77% of the Ag sinter paste structure, lower than any of the GaN chip packaging methods currently in use. Moreover, the thermal condition of the module often has little to do with the material of the UBM. Additionally, nano-silver was found to be the most suitable bump material for FCP GaN chip. Temperature shock experiments were also conducted with different UBM materials when nano-silver was used as bump. It was found that Al as UBM is a more reliable option. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Modules)

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