Method and device for monitoring thermal impedance
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorDaniel Domes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of monitoring a thermal impedance of at least a portion of a thermal path between a semiconductor device having at least two output terminals and a heat sink s provided. The method includes causing power dissipation in the semiconductor device by reloading parasitic capacitances of the semiconductor device such that the at least two output terminals are at the same voltage level, measuring a first temperature in response to the power dissipation at a first end of the portion of the thermal path, measuring a second temperature in response to the power dissipation at a second end of the portion of the thermal path, and determining a measure of the thermal impedance based on the first temperature and the second temperature.
Claims22
A method of monitoring a thermal impedance of a portion of a thermal path between a semiconductor device, having at least two output terminals, and a heat sink, the method comprising:
- causing a power dissipation in the semiconductor device by reloading parasitic capacitances of the semiconductor device such that the at least two output terminals are at a same voltage level;
- measuring a first temperature in response to the power dissipation at a first end of the portion of the thermal path;
- measuring a second temperature in response to the power dissipation at a second end of the portion of the thermal path;
- and
- determining a measure of the thermal impedance based on the first temperature and the second temperature.
A device, comprising:
- a semiconductor device having at least two output terminals;
- a heat sink;
- a thermal path configured to thermally couple the semiconductor device to the heat sink;
- and
- a test controller configured to:
- cause a power dissipation in the semiconductor device by reloading parasitic capacitances of the semiconductor device such that the at least two output terminals of the semiconductor device are at a same voltage level,
- receive a first measured temperature corresponding to the power dissipation at a first end of a portion of the thermal path,
- receive a second measured temperature corresponding to the power dissipation at a second end of a portion of the thermal path, and
- determine a measure of a thermal impedance of the portion of the thermal path based on the first measured temperature and the second measured temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.