Heat Sink & Cooling for Semiconductor IGBT Thermal Management

The insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a key component in new energy conversion systems and high-voltage power switching devices. It is also a representative platform device in high-power semiconductors. It can greatly improve the efficiency of motor drives and is currently widely used in lighting, automobiles, high-speed rail and other fields. As a mainstream device of new power semiconductor devices, IGBT plays a vital role in traditional fields such as industry, communications, 3C electronics, and strategic emerging industries such as rail transportation, new energy, smart grids, and new energy vehicles.

Air Cooling Heat Sink for Semiconductor IGBT Thermal Management

The IGBT module is a power device with the advantages of low driving voltage, strong power handling capability, and high switching frequency. But it is also inseparable from thermal properties. The weakness of the power semiconductor module is overvoltage and overheating. Therefore, its ability to handle heat will limit its high-power application. As a core functional device of power electronic control circuit with high heat flux density, most of the failures of IGBT modules are related to thermal faults. The accumulation of heat will seriously affect the working state and performance of the device. If the temperature is too high (150°C), it will also pose a serious threat to the normal operation of the entire system module, or even damage it. Therefore, it is very important to do effective thermal detection and management of IGBT. Hongwei Technology has professional technical and design engineers for high heat flux density components, and can design efficient, stable, compact and lightweight air & liquid cooling heat exchange solutions for different IGBT projects.

Liquid & Water Cooling Cold Plates for Semiconductor IGBT Thermal Management

IGBT generates a lot of heat due to its high power density. The air gap between the power device and the heat sink will produce a very large contact thermal resistance, significantly increasing the temperature difference between the two interfaces. In order to ensure that the IGBT module works efficiently, safely and stably, its thermal management technology is also the most important link in the design and application of new products. The general method used to reduce the interface contact thermal resistance is to fill it with soft thermal conductive materials, that is, thermal interface materials. The reasonable selection of TIM should not only consider its thermal conductivity, but also take into account the process, maintenance operability and long-term reliability in production. The 10℃ rule shows that the reliability doubles for every 10℃ drop in device temperature. At present, the most common phenomenon of IGBT failure is thermal runaway. Therefore, reliable thermal management is a top priority to ensure the long-term use of IGBT. At present, the main heat dissipation solutions for IGBT are air cooling and liquid cooling. The IGBT is directly installed on the radiator. The heat of the IGBT module is directly transferred to the shell of the radiator through the TIM, and then the heat is taken away by air cooling or liquid cooling forced convection.