Sensing IGBT junction temperature using gate drive output transient properties

Abstract

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) junction temperature sensing is normally achieved with a temperature detector. To optimize accuracy, the temperature detectors are placed very close to the power semiconductor chip or embedded on the power semiconductor die. This is inconvenient for power integration and requires further consideration for high voltage, high current, EMI protection, and the detector's thermalmechanical stress. This paper presents a non-invasive method that integrates junction temperature sensing into the IGBT gate drive and enables high bandwidth sensing. In order to demonstrate the IGBT junction temperature sensing, an IGBT power module is implemented in an H-bridge, and driven by four push-pull type gate drives. The gate drive switching transient properties are used for IGBT junction temperature estimation. The "gate drive-IGBT" switching properties are modeled to explain the junction-temperature-dependent gate drive output dynamics. A hardware implementation for IGBT junction temperature extraction is provided. Experimental results are compared with circuit Spice model simulation.

Sensing Gallium Nitride HEMT junction temperature using gate drive output transient properties

“…However, high speed online frequency domain analysis and high speed analog to digital conversion (ADC) are required for both [9] and [10]. [11], [12], and [13] proposed a T j sensing method based on the dynamic interaction between a gate drive and a switching power semiconductor. The method was applied to different types of switching power semiconductors (Si MOSFET, SiC MOSFET, and Si IGBT) and different types of gate drives (push-pull gate drive, current mirror gate drive, and inductor based gate drive).…”

Least Squares Method for Identification of IGBT Thermal Impedance Networks Using Direct Temperature Measurements

“…Estimation of vector of unknown parameters x is obtained by minimization of the square error, typically written in the form of L2 norm y m − Ax m | 2 2 . The solution to this problem is the well-known least squares…”

“…In some cases, IGBT modules are equipped with temperature sensors. Typical sensors used usually have a slow thermal response [1,2] and are much more suitable for measuring baseplate or case temperatures with high thermal time constants compared to the junction temperature. Even if much more accurate sensors or those with faster responses were to be used, a sensor will have to be placed close to each diode or transistor in the IGBT module.…”

Junction temperature estimation of IGBT module via a bond wires lift‐off independent parameter V gE‐np

“…Considering the limitations of those methods described above, some external electrical parameters changing with chip temperature are used to estimate T J during the operation of converters [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. These parameters called temperature-sensitive electrical parameters (TSEPs) are thought to be most suitable for extracting T J due to the various advantages such as high accuracy, fast response, good generality and simple principle.…”

“…The TSEPs based on gate-emitter of IGBT module include threshold voltage V th , turn-off delay time t doff and turn-on gate peak current I g-pek [14][15][16][17][18][19][20], and those TSEPs exhibit good linearity with T J . V th is the gate-emitter voltage when i c is in the range of 1-10 mA, which is hard to be determined since the current value i c is so tiny and easy be interfered.…”