Automotive Application Relevant Failure Mechanisms Under Cyclic Thermo-Mechanical Load

The change to wide bandgap power semiconductors in automotive traction inverters enables higher operation temperature and also higher temperature swings. The existing packaging technology for the bare dies comprising soldering and Al wire bonding cannot withstand the accompanying higher thermo-mechanical loads. This leads to the need of new die-related packaging technologies. Two possible new packaging technologies for silicon carbide and gallium nitride devices - namely, sintering and embedding - and their relevant failure mechanisms will be investigated using power cycling experiments.