Method and apparatus for detecting aging-dictated damage or delamination on components, in particular power modules of power electronic devices, and power electronic device, in particular converter

An apparatus for detecting aging-dictated damage or delamination on components comprising:

• a radiofrequency antenna arrangement configured for transmitting and receiving, which arrangement, in a course of radiofrequency reflectometry, scans a component by radiofrequency signal irradiation in a microwave or millimeter-wave range and by measurement of at least one reflection signal, which was reflected at the component as a consequence of the radiofrequency signal irradiation, in punctiform, one-dimensional or two-dimensional fashion;
• and
• a generating device for generating radiofrequency image representations which based on mathematical methods for image reconstruction, based on scan information supplied by the radiofrequency antenna arrangement, generates at least one first radiofrequency image representation, wherein:
• a) an ultrasonic signal device, which together with the radiofrequency antenna arrangement and the generating device forms a functional unit and wherein the functional unit is configured in such a way that the component is scanned directly with a time offset with respect to the radiofrequency signal irradiation by a combination of ultrasonic signal irradiation, radiated in by the ultrasonic signal device, and the radiofrequency signal irradiation in the microwave or millimeter-wave range and by measurement of at least one further reflection signal, which was reflected at the component as a consequence of the ultrasonic signal irradiation and radiofrequency signal irradiation, in punctiform, one-dimensional or two-dimensional fashion, and at least one second radiofrequency image representation is generated based on further scan information supplied by the radiofrequency antenna arrangement;
• and
• b) a comparison device, which functionally interacts with the functional unit in such a way that the radiofrequency image representations generated based on the reflection signals are compared, wherein ascertained changes in the radiofrequency image representations indicate damage or delamination on the component.