Methods and circuits for improved reliability of power devices operating under repetitive thermal stress
US10411693B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 2014 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 8, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/687
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Thermo-migration induced stress in power devices can be mitigated by deactivating a subset of power device components (e.g., transistors, etc.) when the power device experiences a high stress condition. Deactivating the subset of power device components serves to bifurcate the active area of the power switching device into smaller active regions, which advantageously changes the temperature gradients in the active area/regions. In some embodiments, a control circuit dynamically deactivates different subsets of power device components to shift the thermo-migration induced stress points to different portions of the active region over the lifetime of the power switching device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.