The times they are a changin’
As Bob Dylan sang “the times they are a changin’”, that’s definitely true for the automotive industry. It is projected by the end of this century we’ll say goodbye to the internal combustion engine, cars will drive us to our destination on their own, and flying taxis will help us cover longer distances, making traffic jams a thing of the past.
Perhaps one of the most important challenges for these new technologies to meet is public safety. The electrical systems responsible for traction, lighting, driver assistance or perhaps autonomous operation must work safely and reliably at all times. Automotive OEMs understand this need well and establish very strict quality requirements for the semiconductor components built into the vehicles. As more and more systems become electric however, new components, new package types, which have never been used in cars before are suddenly required to meet new, stricter qualification guidelines.
Siemens has a suite of test and simulation products to help semiconductor companies design, build and characterize semiconductor components to meet the newly emerging requirements. Learn more about semiconductor thermal characterization and lifetime testing to understand the way to component level reliability.
1. White Paper: Field Lifetime Estimation of Power Modules Using Active Power Cycling
As we all know, keeping costs down is an important priority when designing a product. However, whenever a design changes, eg. the materials used, its reliability has to be tested thoroughly before the product can be moved with confidence into the production phase. Generally, there are 2 options for testing the lifetime of a power module: Temperature Cycling and Active Power Cycling. This white paper guides you through the whys and hows of these tests and provides an insight into the reasons you would choose one over the over.
2. Web Seminar: Simulating & Testing the Latest Technology for EV Power Modules
On the 14th May, I will be presenting a web seminar on this topic. I have worked for 13 years in this industry and I love to be able share what I have learnt via these on-line events. In this instalment, I will explain how Simcenter Powertester can be used to create lifetime metrics for component families. Join me to learn about thermal characterization techniques and active power cycling of Si and SiC power electronic components such as MOSFETs and IGBTs for automotive use.
3. Video: What is a Structure Function
Watch this video to learn about the importance of Structure Functions and their role in investigating the integrity of your packages. This video introduces the principles behind them and shows you how they can support package characterization and reliability analysis.
Please join my webinar on the 14th of May to understand together how semiconductor reliability as an important step toward automotive digitalization may give us all the confidence to hop into that flying taxi or to let go of the steering wheel in our autonomous vehicle in the near future.
