Power cycle reliability of SiC devices with metal-sinter die-attach and thermostable molding

Abstract

Abstract Metal paste sintering die-attach is recently attracting much attention as an alternative to Pb containing high temperature solders, particularly required for power device packaging with post-Si wide band-gap semiconductors. For high voltage and high power devices, which are used in electric vehicles, railway trains, or power grid systems, SiC MSOFET/SBD devices are emerging replacing Si IGBT devices. These SiC devices have two prominent advantages to traditional Si based devices: fast switching and high maximum junction temperature TJ. The excellent characteristics serve for miniaturization of the device module; the former allows to use smaller capacitor and reactors because of the high frequency, and the latter excludes cooling system without affecting the device life time. However, the thermal reliability should be critically tested before used in industrial applications. We have hence conducted comprehensive reliability tests using several types of metal sintering die-attach including Ag and Cu. High temperature storage tests at 250°C certify that the device structure is truly thermostable, and thermal cycling between −50°C and 250°C indicates that the thermomechanical stress caused by device package design is the key for high reliability of power devices. Power cycling demonstrates the usefulness for effective acceleration tests to estimate the device life time. Our results conclude that present metal paste die-attach is ready for use in the product instead of high temperature solders.