High Temperature Power Electronic Packaging

There is a substantial research activity within the IC industry to develop Silicon Carbide (SiC) component technology. SiC technology offer excellent performance at high power and high temperature applications. The technology is becoming commercially avai lable and one of the main challenges is related to development of new advanced packaging technology to take advantage of the properties offered by SiC technology [1]. High temperature power electronic will be a fundamental technology to development of new low cost drill technology, smart wells for increased oil exploitation, integrated operation and real time reservoir control, subsea processing and transport, and future environmental technology to reduce emission from the petroleum industry. One of the main challenges is to obtain sufficient long term reliability. In this project the goal is more than 5 years system operational lifetime at 225oC. The challenge in this project is related to packaging of active and associated passive components. Compatibi lity and stability of all materials involved in the packaging process, together with failure analysis and reliability testing will be tasks of main importance. The results from these tasks will be closely linked with to a demonstrator for 225°C operation that will be ported from a low temperature design. The research team will be built up with researchers from SINTEF ICT, SINTEF Petroleum and Energy and Vestfold University College covering all relevant disciplines in the project. The doctorate study will be performed in co-operation with NTNU in Trondheim. International cooperation will be performed with TranSiC in Sweden and Auburn and Berkley Universities in the USA.