Electro-Thermal Digital Twin for GaN eHEMT Power Modules Temperature Characterization during Power Cycling Tests

The thermal behavior of power modules significantly impacts their power cycling lifetime by influencing power loss generation in the electrical domain and subsequently altering the temperature response. This study introduces a coupled electro-thermal digital twin designed to accurately predict the junction temperature during power cycling tests of wide band gap power modules and to provide detailed insights into the package’s internal temperature distribution. The implementation, achieved through the integration of LTspice and COMSOL simulations governed by MATLAB scripts, is detailed. Numerical and experimental analyses focusing on GaN eHEMT power modules confirm the enhanced precision of this integrated approach. It achieves a 0.8% prediction discrepancy on the maximum junction temperature of 91 °C and offers a maximum 12% reduction in error throughout the heating periods when compared to standalone thermal simulations.