Electro-thermal simulation including a temperature distribution inside power semiconductor devices

Abstract

The idea of including non-uniform temperature distribution into power semiconductor device models is not new, as accurate electro-thermal simulations are required for designing compact power electronic systems (as integrated circuits or multi-chip modules). Electro-thermal simulations of a PIN-diode based on the finite-element method, show a non-uniform temperature distribution inside the device during switching transients. Hence the implicit assumption of a uniform temperature distribution when coupling an analytical electrical model and a thermal model yields inaccurate electro-thermal behaviour of the PIN-diode so far. If literature reports procedures regarding complex thermal network modelling, few papers address the problem of mixing adequately electrical and thermal issues. Instead of using a one-dimensional finite difference or element method, the bond graphs and the hydrodynamic method are used to build a 1D electro-thermal model of the PIN-diode. The paper focuses on electrical issues and the proper expression and localization of power losses to feed the thermal network model. The results by this original technique are compared with those given by a commercial finite-element simulator. The results are similar but the computation effort attached to the proposed technique is a fraction of that required by finite-element simulators. Moreover the proposed technique may be applied easily to other power semiconductor devices.