Electrothermal Multiscale Modeling and Simulation Concepts for Power Electronics

Abstract

This paper presents a finite-element-based simulation methodology to improve on multiscale modeling and analysis limitations of power electronics development. The method utilizes homogenization and nonmatching grid concepts to offer a high degree of flexibility and reduce computational effort. The applied homogenization method provides effective material properties to realize full-chip modeling performance without the need to model geometric details. The concept of nonmatching grids allows the inclusion of a subregion with substantially finer mesh than its surrounding regions. This allows the flexible integration of micrometer scale geometries with a high degree of detail within the full-chip model. Both concepts are thoroughly introduced and an application to a state-of-the-art power electronics semiconductor technology is presented. This paper focuses on electrothermal interaction and is experimentally verified on a dedicated test structure. The presented results provide electrothermal insights in current power electronic technologies and emphasize their potential to further improve the robustness and reliability of next generation technologies.