Reliability analysis and life testing of semiconductor devices for in-wheel motor drive system

This paper presents a reliability analysis and life testing of semiconductor devices for in-wheel motor (IWM) drive system in automotive applications. Considering practical factors such as vehicle lifetime requirements, a novel drive cycle is proposed to examine and assess the semiconductor reliability of a two IWM-driven vehicle. Based on the evaluated thermal profile of the device junction, the classical rain-flow counting approach is utilized to assess the thermal stress induced during the drive cycle. Coffin-Manson approximation equation is applied to evaluate the corresponding experimental test cycle for fulfilling the expected lifetime requirement.