Investigation on the long term reliability of power IGBT modules

More than forty 300 A/400 A 1200 V IGBT modules, coming from different manufactures, were studied by an intermittent operating life test (power cycling) in order to estimate the long term reliability of the modern power IGBT modules. The test results and the failure analysis results indicate that no module could pass 10/sup 6/ power cycles and most tested modules failed in emitter bonding wire lifting from the bonding pad. Besides, recrystallization and migration in bonding pad metallization, electrothermal migration caused bonding wire breaking, and local overheat induced die burn-out failure were also observed in this study.