Review of SiC MOSFET based three-phase inverter lifetime prediction

Abstract

This paper presents a review on SiC MOSFET based 3-phase inverter lifetime prediction. The inverter-level lifetime prediction flowchart is first illustrated with the system failure rate and system Mean Time to Failure derived which integrate five in-series stresses. An overview of SiC MOSFET power module Physics-of-Failure is then presented. Following it are the step-by-step lifetime modeling comparison and summarization, including power loss analysis, thermal modeling, thermal-mechanical modeling, and damage accumulation modeling. Furthermore, cycle counting algorithms and active power cycling tests specific to SiC MOSFET are discussed. Finally, a detailed system-level thermal profile extraction from SiC MOSFET based 3-phased inverter in the hybrid electrical vehicle application is conducted. The simulation result is consistent with theoretical power loss and thermal equivalent circuit based junction temperature evaluation. Thus it can be used for further system lifetime modeling and the reference for 3-phase inverter based power cycling tests in SPWM mode.