Impact of IGBT emitter pad design and front-side aging on switching stability and temperature distribution

This work offers a comprehensive study on temperature determination and development of IGBTs via temperature-sensitive parameters (TSEPs) during repetitive switching events. The obtained information is discussed and judged with respect to accuracy for different device technologies. This evaluation is extended by the aspect of artificial front-side aging for different emitter-pad designs. For two different designs investigated, no decreased switching robustness could be verified, even beyond the AQG 324 [1] lifetime border, which is defined by a certain forward voltage drop increase. • Discussion of emitter pad design on loss development • Application of multiple TSEPs during repetitive hard-switching events • Discussion of accuracy for different TSEPs • Visualization of temperature distribution for different emitter pad designs • Previous highlights investigated before and after artificial front-side aging