Prediction of short-circuit-related thermal stress in aged IGBT modules

In this paper, the thermal stress on bond wires of aged IGBT modules under short-circuit conditions has been studied with respect to different solder delamination levels. To ensure repeatable test conditions, ad-hoc DBC (direct bond copper) samples with delaminated solder layers have been purposely fabricated. The temperature distribution produced by such abnormal conditions has been modelled first by means of FEM simulations and then experimentally validated by means of a non-destructive testing technique including an ultra-fast infrared camera. Results demonstrate a significant imbalance in the surface temperature distribution which confirms the hypothesis that short-circuit events produce significantly uneven stresses on bond wires.