Abstract
In a high power module, a high electrical load may cause electromigration and induce the joule heating, subsequently raising the chip temperature. Temperature excursion in the IGBT chip may produce thermal stress, inducing failure in the metal wire and chip. Those failure modes degrade the reliability of a power module. This study elucidates the coupling behavior of a high power module through electro-thermal coupling analysis and thermo-mechanical analysis. Additionally, the configuration design of an aluminum wire is simulated and implemented. Related design parameters, e.g., wire arrangement position, wire number, wire bonding perimeter and wire height, are studied and the design trend of a metal wire is analysed and suggested as well. © 2014 IEEE.