Thermal Networks Generation and Application in IGBT Module Packaging

We present in this paper the thermal network generation and application in insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module packaging. Based on the finite element method simulation [1], we have firstly conducted a detailed study of the thermal performance of a half-bridge 3.3kV/450A IGBT module, by estimating the power losses according to the actual application condition. Then, a full version of the thermal network for the half-bridge module packaging is derived. This thermal network facilitates fast analysis of the thermal coupling among chips, with potential for the future optimization of the substrate layout and chips distribution. In addition, it can be incorporated into a circuit topology and enable the electro-thermal co-simulation, where the electric and thermal performance of the IGBT module is evaluated interactively. Most importantly, it helps to realize effective monitoring of the temperature at different layers of the IGBT packaging during real loading condition.