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What is thermal management of IGBT?

The IGBT module is a power device, which has the advantages of low driving voltage, strong power processing ability, and high switching frequency. But it also cannot be separated from thermal characteristics. The weakness of power semiconductor modules is over voltage and overheating. If this heat is not effectively managed, it may lead to equipment failure, reduced efficiency, and shortened lifespan. Only by accurately designing the thermal characteristics of devices and systems can we ensure the long-term reliable operation of devices and fully tap into their potential, which is the thermal management of IGBTs.


The continuing miniaturization and rapid increasing power ratings of IGBTs have remarkable high heat flux, which requires complex thermal management. 

Technology and Business Trends

For modules, IGBT heat dissipation technology mainly revolves around packaging and connection iteration. The module packaging and connection technology always revolves around the continuous optimization of the substrate, DBC board, welding, binding lines, and heat dissipation structure.

Chip to chip connection method: aluminum wire/strip → copper wire → flat connection

Heat dissipation structure: single-sided indirect heat dissipation → single-sided direct water cooling → double-sided water cooling structure.

DBC board and substrate: material iteration, from A1203 → AIN → Si3N4, and the substrate material will iterate from Cu to A1SiC.


Walmate Cooling
Solutions For IGBTs
Air Cooling

Air cooling includes two types: natural cooling and forced air cooling.


The mechanism of natural cooling is that during operation, the temperature of the component will increase, creating a temperature difference between the component and the environment. Therefore, spontaneous heat exchange between the component and the environment begins. This process can be carried out spontaneously without the need for additional energy and power, without the need for designing cooling auxiliary equipment. It directly relies on air cooling with lower external temperatures, resulting in low energy consumption, high reliability, and low noise. But this solution is limited in high-power cooling scenarios.

Cold plate cooling

Cold plate cooling: Cold plate cooling is a kind of Indirect liquid cooling .It refers to the indirect exchange of heat between heating components and coolant through the use of a "cold plate" instead of direct contact for heat transfer. Indirect liquid cooling has many obvious advantages, such as simple equipment, compact structure, convenient maintenance, no pollution to the IGBT module of the inverter, and minimal noise generated during operation.


Heat Pipe Assembly

Heat pipe is an efficient heat exchange component, which works by filling the enclosed shell with a working medium. During the phase change process, the medium undergoes heat exchange through heat absorption and release. Heat pipes are made of high thermal conductivity materials, hence they are known as superconducting thermal bodies. Compared to metal conductors with good thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity of heat pipes is nearly a hundred times higher. The advantages of heat pipes include good thermal conductivity, excellent isothermal performance, and environmental adaptability. However, it is generally used in situations that require long-distance heat transfer or uniform temperature, and it is difficult to meet the heat dissipation requirements of high-power wind power converters.


Working Principle of
IGBT Heat Dissipation
Thermal Conduction & Heat Radiation

When IGBT power devices operate, a large amount of heat is generated due to on state losses and switching losses. The heat dissipation path from top to bottom is as follows: chip → ceramic copper-clad plate → substrate → heat sink. Finally, the heat is carried away by the heat sink and air through convection and radiation heat transfer, using active or passive heat dissipation.


Thermal Resistance Optimization

There is thermal resistance throughout the entire conduction process, which is the main factor affecting the heat dissipation of IGBT power modules. To enhance the heat dissipation effect, reducing thermal resistance is the most important method.