Remaining Useful Lifetime Prediction Method of Power Modules Based on the Aging Characteristic Parameters

Remaining useful lifetime (RUL) prediction of the power module is of great significance for performing thermal management and designing effective maintenance. Since the crack is the root failure mechanism of the aging of power modules, regardless of the bond wire failure or solder layer degradation, the crack propagation process is described first and the general crack propagation law is obtained in this article. Then the general crack propagation law is extended to the general growth pattern of the aging characteristic parameters based on a simple solder layer model. After the accuracy of the general growth pattern is verified using the power cycling test results of the new and aged power module, a novel RUL prediction method is proposed based on the general growth pattern of the aging characteristic parameters. Finally, the proposed RUL prediction method is carried out on EasyPACK module, and the effectiveness of the proposed RUL prediction method is verified with the difference between the predicted lifetime and the real test lifetime lower than 2%.