Power cycling results of high power IGBT modules close to 50 Hz heating process

The dominating heating time of power semiconductor devices in 50 Hz grid connected converters in applications such as renewable energies (wind or photovoltaic) or high voltage direct current transmission is 10 ms, since the conduction losses created by the 50 Hz AC component are dominating. In the power cycling test, a heating time of several seconds is however usually used, which may trigger different failure mode and deduce a wrong lifetime. For a precise lifetime prediction of power semiconductor devices in such applications, power cycling test with heating time and temperature swing closed to the application condition is necessary. Experimental results for 10 ms heating time at small temperature swing with more than 500 million cycles to failure are presented in this paper for the first time.