Power devices (MOSFET, Si-IGBT, Diode) have become indispensable in a variety of fields, including green energy and electric vehicles (EVs). In particular, advanced power devices such as SiC-MOSFET (silicon carbide) enable high-efficiency power conversion with low loss, which reduces energy consumption and improves performance, contributing to making the power device itself and passive components more compact. These smaller sizes increase the amount of heat radiated per unit of surface area and volume, making heat management more difficult. These devices have the issue of heat dissipation caused by the accumulation of heat, so it is essential to add appropriate countermeasures for heat from the early stage of design, and evaluate the device’s reliability.
Evaluating the characteristics of heat dissipation enables a more profound understanding of the device’s issues in terms of heat design and can lead to improvements in long-term reliability.

ESPEC’s Power Cycle Test Systems provide precise, repeatable evaluation of heat dissipation characteristics and package degradation, enabling engineers to identify design risks and improve device reliability.

The power cycle test involves applying a large current to the power device and heating the device until its temperature (Tvj) reaches the target temperature. After the target temperature is reached, the large current is interrupted, and the power device is cooled down with chiller water or air until the low-limit temperature is reached. This temperature stress is repeated to apply thermal stress to the device. The deterioration over time of the durability of the entire package structure, from the wire bonding to the chip and from the chip to the cooling plate, is evaluated.

Test mode

Characteristic measurement	TCR measurement
Types of tests * Able to select from constant current/constant power in each test	Fixed-duration power cycle test
	Temperature-targeted power cycle test (Tvj, Tc)

Test method (Standard)

Please scroll horizontally to look at table below.