Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric R&d Centre Europe B.v.

Stefan Mollov

Jeffrey Ewanchuk

Julio Brandelero

Nicolas Degrenne

Roberto Mrad

Nicolas Voyer

Julien Morand

Nicolas Gresset

Rémi Perrin

Jonathan Robinson

Luc Rambaud

Laurent Foube

Guillaume Lefevre

Remi Perrin

Chihiro Kawahara

The present invention concerns a device and a method for sensing an over-temperature of a power semiconductor. The invention: provides a current pulse source through control electrodes of the power semiconductor, duplicates the current provided by the current pulse source and provides the duplicated current to an emulating device, compares the voltage across the control electrodes to the voltage across the emulating device, notifies the result of the comparison.

Device and method for sensing an over-temperature of a power semiconductor

The present disclosure relates to a method for estimating parameters of a junction of a power semi-conductor element comprising: •—Detecting at least one stable on-line operating condition through measurements () of Von, Ion, Tc on a semi-conductor module () where Ion is a current for which the on-state voltage Von of the semi-conductor is sensitive to the temperature and Tc is the temperature of the casing of said semi-conductor element; •—Measuring and storing at least one parameter set Von, Ion, Tc of said at least one stable operating condition; •—in a calculating unit (), providing calculations for minimizing the error between a junction temperature estimation Tj of an electrical model Tj=F(Von, Ion, θelec) comprising a first set of unknown parameters θelec and another junction temperature estimation Tjmod of a loss/thermal model Tj=G(Ion, Tc, θ mod) comprising a second set of unknown parameters θ mod and obtaining at least one set of parameters θelec and at least one parameter θ mod providing minimization of said error; •—providing the calculated value of Tj with at least one of the calculated parameters sets θelec and/or θ mod and the measured Von, Ion, Tc; •—Storing the at least one parameters set θelec and/or θ mod and/or Tj.

Method for estimating parameters of a junction of a power semi-conductor element and power unit

The present invention concerns a method and device for monitoring the gate signal of a power semiconductor (SI), the gate signal of the power semiconductor (SI) being provided by a gate driver (), generates an expected signal (VGexp) that corresponds to the signal outputted by the gate driver () when no deterioration of the gate driver () and/or of the power semiconductor (SI) and/or of a load linked to the power semiconductor (SI) exists, compares the expected signal (VGexp) and the signal (VGmeas) outputted by the gate driver (), determines if a deterioration of the gate driver () and/or of the power semiconductor (SI) and/or of a load linked to the power semiconductor (SI) exists using the result of the comparing of the expected signal (VGexp) and the signal (VGmeas) outputted by the gate driver ().

Method and device for monitoring gate signal of power semiconductor

A device comprising a gate pad, a source pad and a passive actuator arranged to form a reversible mechanical and electrical connection between the gate pad and the source pad only if the temperature in the passive actuator exceeds a threshold value.

Device and method for manufacturing device

The present invention concerns a method and a device for increasing the reliability of a power module composed of plural power semiconductors that are connected in parallel, the power semiconductors being connected to the external pins of the package of the power module through metallic connections. The invention: —selects one power semiconductor among the power semiconductors connected in parallel according to a criterion, —applies a same input patient to the not selected power semiconductors connected in parallel, —increases the temperature of the selected power semiconductor in order to reach a target temperature of the power semiconductor during a time duration in order to achieve and interface grain homogenisation of the metallic connections of the selected power semiconductor, —applies the same input pattern to the selected power semiconductor after the time duration.

Device and method for increasing the reliability of a power module

An electrical power assembly, comprising: at least one multilayer base structure, at least one power device embedded in the at least one multilayer base structure, an internal electrically conductive layer positioned on each side of the multilayer base structure, the internal electrically conductive layer being connected to a respective electrical contact of the power device through connections arranged in the multilayer base structure; at least one external electrically conductive layers positioned on each side of the base structure, each external electrically conductive layer comprising at least one pre-drilled through hole, at least one internal electrically insulating layer positioned between the internal electrically conductive layer of the base structure and a respective external electrically conductive layer, at least one hole arranged in the internal electrically insulating layer and the external electrically conductive layer, a portion of each hole being formed by the pre-drilled through hole, the at least one hole being filled with electrically conductive material to form external conductive vias to connect the internal electrically conductive layer to the respective external electrically conductive layer.

Electrically power assembly with thick electrically conductive layers

A current going through the first power semiconductor is sensed by a first and a second current derivative sensing means, the current going through the second semiconductor is sensed by a third and a fourth current derivative sensing means, when the current going through the first power semiconductor increases, the first current derivative means providing a positive voltage and the second current derivative means providing an opposite negative voltage, when the current going through the second power semiconductor increases, the third current derivative means providing a positive voltage and the fourth current derivative means providing an opposite voltage and the system reduces the voltage on the gate of the first power semiconductor if the first and third current derivative means provide voltages of same sign and reduces the voltage on the gate of the second power semiconductor if the second and fourth current derivative means provide voltages of same sign.

System and method for protecting power semiconductor of half bridge converter

The invention: determines if the duration of the conducting state of the semiconductors in a first cycle of the pulse width modulation is upper than a predetermined duration, measures, during the conducting state of the semiconductors at a second cycle, the voltage provided to the load, sequentially disables the conduction of each semiconductor during a part of the duration of the conducting state of the semiconductors in a third cycle and measures the voltage provided to the load, determines the differences between the voltage measured during the second cycle and each voltage measured during the third cycle, orders the differences according to their value, checks if the determined order is identical to an order stored in a memory of the device and determines that one connection of one semiconductor is deteriorated if the order is changed.

Method and device for monitoring connection of semiconductor of power module

A method for determining the junction temperature of at least one die of a semiconductor power module, the semiconductor power module being composed of plural dies connected in parallel and switching between conducting and non conductor states according to pattern cycles, the method comprises the steps of: disabling the conducting of the at least one die during at least a fraction of one switching cycle, applying a current limited voltage to the gate of the at least one die during a period of time of the cycle wherein the at least one die is not conducting, the resulting voltage excursion having a value that does not enable the die to be conducting, measuring the voltage at the gate of the die, deriving from the measured voltage a temperature variation of the junction of the at least one die or the temperature of the junction of the die.

Method and device for determining junction temperature of die of semiconductor power module

A device having at least one power semiconductor die coated with a metallization and at least one light guide having two opposite ends. The first end is able to be connected at least to a light source and to a light receiver. The second end is permanently fixed facing to a surface of the metallization such that to form a light path towards said surface and a light path from said surface.

Device and method for monitoring the health of a power semiconductor die

The present invention concerns a system for allowing the restoration of an interconnection of a die of a power module, a first terminal of the interconnection being fixed on the die and a second terminal of the interconnection being connected to an electric circuit. The system comprises:&#x2014;at least one material located in the vicinity of the first terminal of the interconnection, the material having a predetermined melting temperature,&#x2014;means for controlling the temperature of the die at the predetermined melting temperature during a predetermined period of time. The present invention concerns also the method.

System and method for allowing restoration of interconnection of die of power module

A power module () is disclosed, comprising:

Power module and method for manufacturing power module

The present invention concerns a device for controlling the switching of a first and a second power semiconductor switches providing current to a load in a half bridge configuration. The device comprises: means for obtaining a first current value through the first switch or the load just before the switching of the first switch from conducting to non-conducting state, means for limiting the current through the second switch during the switching of the second switch from non-conducting to conducting state using the obtained first current value, by modifying the gate signal of the second switch, means for obtaining a second current value through the second switch or the load just before the switching of the second switch from conducting to non-conducting state, means for limiting the current through the first switch during the switching of the first switch from non-conducting to conducting state using the obtained second current value by modifying the gate signal of the first switch.

Device and method for controlling switching

The present invention concerns a power module comprising at least one power die, the at least one power die is embedded in a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure is an assembly of at least two sub-modules, each sub-module being formed of isolation and conductor layers and the power module further comprises at least one capacitor embedded in the multilayer structure for decoupling an electric power supply to the at least one power die embedded in the multilayer structure and at least one driving circuit of the at least one power die that is disposed on a surface of the multilayer structure or embedded completely or partially in the multilayer structure.

Power module having a multilayered structure with liquid cooled busbar and method for manufacturing same

The present invention concerns a power module composed of a first and second parts (), the first part being composed of conductor layers and insulation layers, characterized in that a first conductor layer is on bottom of the first part, the second part is composed of at least one second conductor layer, the first and/or the second conductor layers comprise cavities that form pipes () when the first and second conductor layers are in contact, and in that the first and the second conductor layers are bonded together by a metal plating () of the walls of the pipes.

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Rennes, France

Stefan Mollov