Thermal Modelling for an Electrothermal Model of GaN Devices

Abstract

Global resource constraints and climate change have led to rethink about the use of the combustion engine in traditional transport systems. As a result, automotive manufacturers and equipment suppliers are moving towards hybrid vehicles. This change is leading electronics designers to use Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology within power modules. The use of this new technology may call into question the reliability of the system, which is directly related to the device aging. Among factors that can influence component aging is temperature. This paper describes the internal structure of a chosen device which is presented in LGA (Land Grid Array) package in order to create a thermal model through a finite element study that aims at extracting an electrothermal model describing the real component behavior within power module.