A Review of Junction Temperature Extraction for Power Semiconductor Devices Based on Temperature‐Sensitive Electrical Parameters

ABSTRACT

As core components of energy conversion, power semiconductor devices are confronted with reliability challenges. The junction temperature is an important parameter that characterizes the operating status and reliability of power devices, the extraction of which is of great significance for the long‐term safety of the converter. Since the insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) and power metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistors (MOSFET) are widely used in high‐power applications as fully controllable devices, this article focuses on conducting a review of junction temperature extraction methods for these devices, including classification and evaluation. First, four types of junction temperature extraction methods are compared, including optical methods, physical contact methods, analytical calculation methods, and temperature‐sensitive electrical parameter (TSEP) methods. Then, considering the advantages of TSEP methods, the TSEP methods proposed in recent years have been analyzed, which have been divided into steady‐state methods and transient‐state methods based on the working state of the power device. Finally, a comprehensive comparison of TSEP methods has been evaluated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, and other features. Furthermore, gallium nitride (GaN) devices, as another widely used wide‐bandgap power device, operate differently from IGBTs and power MOSFETs, and reliability research on GaN devices is still in the exploratory stage. This article also discusses the junction temperature methods for GaN devices to promote their reliability application in high power‐density converters.