Enhanced Thermal Test-Bench Design for Junction Temperature Evaluation of Discrete Power Devices

This thesis addresses the challenge of accurate thermal verification in modern electronics, driven by increasing power densities and device miniaturization. It introduces an enhanced thermal verification test-bench that improves upon traditional JEDEC and MIL-STD-883E standards by integrating real-time monitoring of temperature sensors, body diodes, and gate voltage. This allows for a more realistic emulation of real-world operating conditions and complex thermal loads. The research provides a comparative analysis between the proposed test-bench and existing standards, highlighting its superior accuracy in predicting device thermal behaviour and its potential to optimize cooling strategies. Furthermore, the thesis investigates the impact of different mechanical cooling setups on the thermal performance of discrete power devices. It evaluates various configurations, including top-side cooling, analysing their effects on thermal spreading, interfacial resistance, and overall cooling efficiency. Finally, the work presents a comparative study of various junction temperature measurement techniques. These include the forward voltage drop on the body diode, gate plateau voltage measurement, MOSFETs with embedded temperature sensors, and optical fibre measurements. Each method's accuracy, applicability, and limitations are assessed. This research
provides crucial insights for optimizing thermal management in power electronic systems, contributing to the development of more reliable, efficient, and thermally optimized electronic systems for high-performance applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics.