What is power semiconductor?
Power semiconductors consist of two parts: power devices and power ICs. Power devices are branches of discrete power semiconductor devices, while power ICs are integrated with peripheral circuits for various functions. The main function of power semiconductors is to convert electrical energy, control circuits, and change the voltage and frequency in electronic devices, such as DC or AC, all of which have the ability to handle high voltage and high current.
At present, the mainstream and widely used semiconductor devices include thyristors, which can output high power but have relatively low frequencies. They are mainly used for direct current transmission and high-power low-frequency power supplies; The second is IGCT, which integrates GTO and gate drive circuit in a low inductance manner to improve turn off performance. This device is currently mainly used for high-power motor transmission, including ship drive, offshore wind power, etc; The third is IGBT. Since breaking through the technological bottleneck in the 1990s, it has achieved industrialization and large-scale application. Currently, high-power IGBT can achieve up to 6500V, and its application methods are relatively wide, including rail transit, photovoltaic power generation, automotive electronics, etc. It is currently the mainstream switching device.
IGBT module has the characteristics of energy saving, easy installation and maintenance, and stable heat dissipation. Its function is to convert AC and DC electricity, and also undertake the function of high and low voltage conversion. It can be said to be one of the core technologies of electric vehicles. The quality of IGBT directly affects the release speed of electric vehicle power.
IGBT accounts for about half of the cost of the motor drive system, while the motor drive system accounts for 15-20% of the vehicle cost, which means IGBT accounts for 7-10% of the vehicle cost. It is the second highest cost component after the battery and also determines the energy efficiency of the vehicle.
New energy vehicles have very high requirements for IGBT, requiring it to have stronger and more efficient power processing capabilities, while also reducing its excessive power consumption and unnecessary heat generation to improve the overall performance of the vehicle. Higher standards have been proposed in areas related to full lifecycle reliability, such as temperature shock, power cycling, temperature cycling, and junction temperature.
As the mainstream device of new power semiconductor devices, IGBT is widely used in various fields such as household appliances, electric vehicles, railways, charging infrastructure, charging piles, photovoltaics, wind energy, industrial manufacturing, motor drives, and energy storage.
IGBT module is a new generation of power semiconductor electronic component module, which was born in the 1980s and underwent a new round of reform and upgrading in the 1990s. Through the development of new technologies, IGBT modules have become a combination of many characteristics such as reduced on state voltage, fast switching speed, high voltage and low loss, and good high current thermal stability. These technical features are the main reason why IGBT modules have replaced old bipolar transistors as important electronic devices in circuit manufacturing.
In recent years, the booming development of electric vehicles has driven the updating and iteration of power module packaging technology. At present, the power semiconductor technology of electric vehicle main inverters represents the advanced level of medium power module technology. High reliability, high power density, and cost competitiveness are the first requirements that need to be met.
Evolution trend of power device module packaging structure
IGBT, as an important core component of power electronics, its reliability is the most important factor determining the safe operation of the entire device. Due to the adoption of stacked packaging technology in IGBT, this technology not only increases packaging density, but also shortens the interconnect length of wires between chips, thereby improving the operating speed of the device.
According to the packaging form and complexity, IGBT products can be divided into die DIE, IGBT single tube, IGBT module, and IPM module.
1. Die DIE: Multiple die DIEs cut from a single wafer;
2. IGBT single tube: a discrete IGBT device packaged with a single DIE, with low current capacity, suitable for home appliances and other fields;
3. IGBT module: composed of multiple DIEs packaged in parallel, with higher power and stronger heat dissipation capability, suitable for high-power fields such as new energy vehicles, high-speed railways, photovoltaic power generation, etc;
4. IPM module: an intelligent power module (IPM) that adds other functions around the IGBT module;
IGBT is known as the "pearl on the crown of power semiconductors" and is widely used in industries such as photovoltaic power generation, new energy vehicles, rail transit, distribution network construction, direct current transmission, and industrial control. The downstream demand market is huge. The core application product type of IGBT is IGBT module. The market share of IGBT modules can reach over 50%, while IPM modules and IGBT single tubes are only about 28% and 20% respectively. From the perspective of investment value of the product, IGBT modules have the highest value, which is beneficial for enterprises to quickly increase their product scale and therefore have the greatest investment value.
IGBT application fields
To achieve the localization of IGBT, it is not only necessary to develop a mature process technology that integrates chip design, wafer manufacturing, packaging testing, reliability testing, and system application, but also requires advanced process equipment.
With the development of chip thinning technology, higher requirements have been put forward for packaging. The packaging process is related to whether IGBT can form higher power density, be suitable for higher temperatures, have higher availability and reliability, and better adapt to harsh environments.
IGBT module packaging is the integration and packaging of multiple IGBTs together to improve the service life and reliability of IGBT modules. Smaller size, higher efficiency, and higher reliability are the market's demand trends for IGBT modules. There are many common module packaging technologies, and their names vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, such as Infineon's 62mm package, TP34, DP70, and so on. The packaging of an IGBT module requires production processes such as surface mounting, vacuum welding, plasma cleaning, X-ray inspection, bonding, glue filling and curing, molding, testing, and labeling.
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