Methods and Models for Assessing Solder Interconnect Reliability of Control Boards in Power Electronic Systems

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, power electronic systems have been increasingly required to operate in harsh environments including automotive, deep-well drilling and aerospace applications. In parallel, the higher power densities and miniaturization of the power switching module result in elevated stress levels on the control circuitry. The objective of this study was to develop methods and models for assessing the interconnect reliability of components used in the control circuitry for power electronic systems. Physics-of-Failure modeling and a series of thermal and reliability simulations were conducted on a 2.2 kW variable-frequency drive to evaluate the susceptibility of system level and component level failure mechanisms. Assessment methods consisted of developing CalcePWA simulation models of the primary sub-assemblies and constructing a power cycling apparatus to perform accelerated testing of the drive.