Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools and Considerations for Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Co-Design of High Voltage Power Modules

Recent developments in EDA tools for power electronics modules have led to simultaneous analysis and optimization of package features with regard to electro-thermal and thermo-mechanical aspects. In this work, two of these EDA tools, PowerSynth and ParaPower, are linked together with a software application programming interface (API) to rapidly explore a combined electro-thermo-mechanical design space and present the user with co-optimized solutions and tradeoffs in a fraction of the time consumed using traditional analysis methods. An overview of this co-design process and its advantages over that of the traditional, iterative approach is presented along with an explanation of the methods used by the respective tools for analysis. Finally, additional considerations and constraints are introduced that ensure manufacturing feasibility and reliable operation at high voltages. A case study in co-design using these tools has been proposed for the final paper.