Effect of solder layer crack on the thermal reliability of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors

Abstract

In order to study the thermal reliability of solder layer fatigue damage in Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT), the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the crack damage of the solder layer is described. Based on the FEA, the transient thermal characteristics of a healthy IGBT module are analyzed. The influence of the size, location and irregular distribution of the solder layer crack on the thermal resistance of the IGBT module is investigated. In addition, the degree of crack damage and the specific location of the solder layer of the IGBT module are evaluated based on the structure function. The conclusions of the study provide theoretical support for IGBT module reliability and life assessment. Keywords: Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), Finite element analysis(FEA), Solder layer crack, Thermal resistance, Structure function