Traction inverter power density (KW/L) and efficiency ($/KW) strongly impact electric vehicle (EV) weight, driving range, and cost of ownership. Unfortunately, traditional soldered power modules are not designed for EV traction and suffer from several limitations, which are directly related to poor design and misspecification of thermal and electrical attach layers in the inverter assembly. ESI Automotive was approached by a leading tier one automotive supplier who needed to improve the reliability and power levels of its inverter for high-end hybrid and EV vehicles. Its previous generation design suffered from several limitations including voltage overshoots during switching, high thermal resistance, and early failures during power cycling and thermal cycling. After exploring multiple solutions, reliability remained an issue. Fortunately, silver sintering held the key.
展开▼
