Reliability Design for Automotive Power Modules

Inhalt:
Power semiconductor module is the key component in power train system of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (HEV/EV) and restricts the performance, efficiency, reliability and cost of the system. The module’s working environment is extreme harsh in the aspects of temperature, humidity, mechanical vibration and shock. The complex missions have frequent acceleration and deceleration resulting in more power and temperature cycles that affect gradually the module reliability. Thus, automotive power modules must have high reliability and performance to drive the vehicle competently without failures in the desired lifetime. In this paper, the design issues for the purpose of enhancing automotive module reliability are investigated. The proposals of design and packaging in order to mitigate the electrical, thermal and mechanical instability are introduced.