Theoretical Analysis on Temperature Dependency of Short-Circuit Capability

Abstract

Insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are used as switching devices for inverters of hybrid electric vehicles. IGBTs require very high reliability against device destruction. The strong dependence of short-circuit capability on temperature was theoretically investigated for the first time using a heat conduction equation. The model showed that the temperature-dependent factor for short-circuit capability was consistent with the empirical evidence.