Macro–Mesoscale Modeling of the Evolution of the Surface Roughness of the Al Metallization Layer of an IGBT Module during Power Cycling

Abstract

One of the main failure modes of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module is the reconstruction of an aluminum (Al) metallization layer on the surface of the IGBT chip. In this study, experimental observations and numerical simulations were used to investigate the evolution of the surface morphology of this Al metallization layer during power cycling, and both internal and external factors affecting the surface roughness of the layer were analyzed. The results indicate that the microstructure of the Al metallization layer evolves during power cycling, where the initially flat surface gradually becomes uneven, such that the roughness varies significantly across the IGBT chip surface. The surface roughness depends on several factors, including the grain size, grain orientation, temperature, and stress. With regard to the internal factors, reducing the grain size or orientation differences between neighboring grains can effectively decrease the surface roughness. With regard to the external factors, the reasonable design of the process parameters, a reduction in the stress concentration and temperature hotspots, and preventing large local deformation can also reduce the surface roughness.