The three major challenges in the power electronics in hybrid and electric vehicles are: System cost, power density and reliability. High temperature power device and packaging technologies increases the power density and reliability while reducing system cost. Advanced Silicon devices with synthesized high-temperature packaging technologies can achieve junction temperature as high as 200C (compared to the present limitation of 150C) eliminating the need for a low-temperature radiator and therefore these devices reduces the system cost. The silicon area needed for a power inverter with high junction temperature capability can be reduced by more than 50 - 75% thereby significantly reducing the packaging space and power device and package cost. Smaller packaging space is highly desired since multiple vehicle platforms can share the same design and therefore reducing the cost further due to economies of scale. Recent advances in the high-temperature packaging technologies combined with new device metallization have shown ten times improvement in reliability ensuring 15 year (150k miles) power electronics lifetime. The presentation will address multiple business and product development impacts of the high-temperature device and packaging technologies on power electronics systems and show how these advancements can create a 'economic tipping point' to achieve power electronics cost target while exceeding reliability requirements.

Presenter
Jochen Hanebeck, Infineon Technologies AG