Thermal Analysis of Power Semiconductor Converters

Power devices may fail catastrophically if the junction temperature becomes high enough to cause thermal runaway and melting. A much lower functional limit is set by temperature increases that result in changes in device characteristics, such as forward breakover voltage or the recovery time, and failure to meet device specifications. Heat generation occurs primarily within the volume of the semiconductor pellet. This heat must be removed as efficiently as possible by some form of thermal exchange with the ambient, by the processes of conduction, convection or radiation. Heat loss to the case and heat-sink is primarily by conduction. Heat loss by radiation accounts for only 1-2% of the total and can be ignored in most situations. Finally, loss from the heat-sink to the air is primarily by convection. When liquid cooling is used, the heat loss is by conduction to the liquid medium through the walls of the heat exchanger. Heat transfer by conduction is conveniently described by means of an electrical analogy, as it shows in Table 1.