Temperature Measurement of Power Semiconductor Devices by Thermo-Sensitive Electrical Parameters—A Review

Abstract

This paper proposes a synthesis of different electrical methods used to estimate the temperature of power semiconductor devices. The following measurement methods are introduced: the voltage under low current levels, the threshold voltage, the voltage under high current levels, the gate-emitter voltage, the saturation current, and the switching times. All these methods are then compared in terms of sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, genericity, calibration needs, and possibility of characterizing the thermal impedance or the temperature during the operation of the converter. The measurement of thermo-sensitive parameters of wide bandgap semiconductors is also discussed.