Comparative Thermal Analysis of Wide Band Gap Power Module

This paper compares the thermal performance of WBG (Wide Band-Gap) and UWBG (Ultra-Wide Band-Gap) power semiconductors or modules with conventional Si-based devices. Power modules or semiconductors are essential to maintain the rated power for various applications, such as energy and transportation. Considering the increasing role of power semiconductors, reliability becomes increasingly essential. Although a power semiconductor module should be configured to transmit the electric power as much as possible without a loss, a large current flow in a power module and power loss occurs as heat energy. This heat, as well as in a high-temperature environment, causes most failures of power semiconductor modules. For the latest-generation power semiconductor modules, WBG and UWBG materials such as SiC, GaN, Ga2O3, and diamond are being developed to replace Si, the primary material of existing semiconductors. WBG and UWBG devices can provide the high performance required in the latest-generation power applications. However, their extremely high-power densities should be managed appropriately, making innovative thermal management techniques a crucial aspect to consider. Thermal conductivities of WBG and UWBG materials are known to be superior to Si-based devices. When limited to a chip level, the thermal conductivity of the material used in the chip can be significantly affected; however, the thermal performance of a system should be estimated as a whole. This study uses thermal simulation to analyze the thermal performances of WBG and UWBG power modules.