Thermal Characterization of Electronic Components Using Single-detector IR Measurement and 3D Heat Transfer Modelling

A novel methodology of thermal impedance measurement by temperature monitoring out of the heat source in a power transistor is presented. A low-cost Infra-Red (IR) head is used to register evolution of temperature after step-function powering. A dedicated power generator has been developed to synchronize temperature recording with power dissipation in a device. Estimation of temperature in the heat source is performed by 3D FEM modelling of multilayer transistor structure. It allows fitting the measurement and simulation results to achieve the classically-defined thermal impedance in the heat source.