Power semiconductor and packaging trends in vehicle electrification

Since road traffic currently contributes 23% to CO₂ emission, the European Union forces car makers to reduce the average CO₂ emission of their fleet to 95g CO₂/km by 2021. This can only be achieved by electrification of vehicles. It is obvious that the market requires electrified vehicles to be comparable to combustion engine cars in price, driving range, maintenance effort, lifetime and safety. The main inverter, also called HPCU (hybrid control unit), with the power module as its core component plays a key role because it is a major lever for CO₂ reduction. The strict rules of the EC requires future power modules with highest power density, high voltage and high current rating, high temperature capability and cooling, sufficient lifetime, low weight and small size. The article describes how Infineon will meet the requirements of power modules for the coming years. On the power semiconductor technology side, a new IGBT generation will be introduced as well as a very thin IGBT technology. On the packaging side, two new packages will be introduced: a very compact low-cost generator module, and a high power motor module with significant improvements in power density and size, cost, stray inductance and efficiency. It will also be discussed how to further increase the robustness of such packages to allow operation at even higher operating temperatures. An insight into wide bandgap power semiconductor switches will also be given. The new technologies will reduce V_ce and switching losses at the same time and thereby increase inverter efficiency and power density.