Improved thermal management of low voltage power devices with optimized bond wire positions.

This paper focuses on optimization of bond wire positions as a method to improve thermal management of power semiconductors. For this purpose, robustness of a new low-voltage MOSFET generation with an optimized multiple bond wire arrangement and device shape is compared to an older device design with lower number of bond wires. 2D electrical simulation is used to evaluate the lateral distribution of power dissipation due to the gate voltage de-biasing effect. 3D thermal finite element simulation and infrared thermography measurements are employed to analyze the corresponding surface temperature distribution. Finally, tests under extreme single pulse short-circuit conditions demonstrate the effectiveness of thermal management for improving robustness in automotive applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.