Accurate, versatile and compact transient measurement system for fast thermal package characterization and health monitoring

Transient thermal measurement is one of the most efficient ways to measure the thermal resistance of electronic packages and to perform a thorough structural analysis and failure detection procedure. It is well-accepted by industry to determine the junction-to-case thermal resistance (R
_thJC
) as an indicator for the thermal performance of an electronic device. In this paper, we will discuss the development of an accurate, versatile and compact transient thermal measurement system in compliance with the standard JEDEC JESD 51-14. This newly developed system is applicable for the characterization of a wide range of devices from diodes, LEDs, MOSFETs to IGBTs and SiC-MOSFETs. The system is applied to the characterization of standard and highly challenging samples to show its full scope of performance. Dedicated, elaborate samples are designed and assembled to directly demonstrate the effects of structural changes on the thermal impedance and structure function to benchmark the system.