Robustness evaluation of high voltage Press Pack IGBT modules in enhanced short circuit test

The paper deals with the evaluation of robustness of high power Press Pack IGBT modules under short circuit conditions. The severity of the tests is usually related to the achievement of the real failure mode which drives the device to withstand a big amount of energy. The most and well known methods to evaluate the robustness of the devices have been analyzed and improved in order to operate with the highest achievable di/dt and to consequently emulate the real circuit setup and failure mode. Experimental tests will be shown and evaluated under different voltage and temperature conditions. The tests described in the paper have been targeted to evaluate the capability of the device to withstand extremely severe condition when they are used in a high power converter. A driving protection feature dealing with the target of improving the functionality of protection against failure will be also described.