# US 9,435,850 B2 · Apparatus and method for power cycle test > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,850 B2 - Document ID: US9435850B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/945,757 - Filed: 2013-07-18 - Published: 2014-01-23 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-18 - Assignees: Espec Corp. - Applicants: Katsumasa Suyama - Inventors: Katsumasa Suyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435850B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/2619: {for measuring thermal properties thereof} - G01R 31/2642: {Testing semiconductor operation lifetime or reliability, e.g. by accelerated life tests} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract Provided are a power cycle test apparatus and a power cycle test method that can efficiently reproduce nearly a level of stress that may occur in failure mode in actual environments, the apparatus which is a test apparatus for performing a power cycle test for a power semiconductor device to be tested by applying a thermal stress to the power semiconductor device through the application of a stress current thereto in predefined ON/OFF cycles executes a thermal cycle test in temperature rise-fall cycles longer than the ON/OFF cycles by using an apparatus configured to change an external environmental temperature and further executes the power cycle test while executing the thermal cycle test in synchronization with execution phases of the thermal cycle test. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power cycle test apparatus for performing a power cycle test for a power semiconductor device to be tested by applying a thermal stress to the power semiconductor device to be tested through the application of a stress current thereto in predefined ON/OFF cycles, the apparatus comprising: a current source for applying the current to the power semiconductor device to be tested; a temperature changing device for changing a temperature in an external environment of the power semiconductor device to be tested; and a controller for controlling the power cycle test apparatus, wherein the controller executes a thermal cycle test in temperature rise-fall cycles longer than the ON/OFF cycles by using the temperature changing device, and the controller further executes the power cycle test in synchronization with execution phases of the thermal cycle test while executing the thermal cycle test. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power cycle test apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power cycle test is a power cycle test in which a period of time when the stress current is applied to the power semiconductor device to be tested in the ON/OFF cycles of the power cycle test and a period of time when the current application is suspended are fixed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power cycle test apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power cycle test is a power cycle test in which an upper-limit temperature value set based on a difference between upper-limit and lower-limit temperatures that should be applied to a junction in the power semiconductor device to be tested within the ON/OFF cycles of the power cycle test is used as a preset temperature value, and the stress current is applied until a junction temperature reaches the preset temperature value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power cycle test apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the execution of the power cycle test to be prioritized over the execution of the thermal cycle test or controls the execution of the thermal cycle test to be prioritized over the execution of the power cycle test. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power cycle test apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the execution of the thermal cycle test to be prioritized over the execution of the power cycle test in the case where a fall of temperature of the power semiconductor device to be tested takes more time in the power cycle test than a temperature fall time of the power semiconductor device to be tested defined in the thermal cycle test owing to heat storage in the power semiconductor device to be tested. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power cycle test apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the case where a temperature of the power semiconductor device to be tested fails to reach a target heating temperature within the thermal cycles in the thermal cycle test owing to a capacity of the temperature changing device, the controller temporarily stops further progression of the thermal cycles until the temperature reaches the target heating temperature. ### Claim 7 A power cycle test method for performing a power cycle test for a power semiconductor device to be tested by applying a thermal stress to the power semiconductor device to be tested through the application of a stress current thereto in predefined ON/OFF cycles, the method comprising: a first step in which a thermal cycle test is executed in temperature rise-fall cycles longer than the ON/OFF cycles by using a temperature changing device for changing an external environmental temperature; and a second step in which the power cycle test is executed in synchronization with execution phases of the thermal cycle test while the thermal cycle test is being executed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power cycle test method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power cycle test is a power cycle test in which a period of time when the stress current is applied to the power semiconductor device to be tested in the ON/OFF cycles of the power cycle test and a period of time when the current application is suspended are fixed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The power cycle test method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power cycle test is a power cycle test in which an upper-limit temperature value set based on a difference between upper-limit and lower-limit temperatures that should be applied to a junction in the power semiconductor device to be tested within the ON/OFF cycles of the power cycle test is used as a preset temperature value, and the stress current is applied until a junction temperature reaches the preset temperature value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The power cycle test method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the execution of the power cycle test is controlled to be prioritized over the execution of the thermal cycle test or the execution of the thermal cycle test is controlled to be prioritized over the execution of the power cycle test. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The power cycle test method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the execution of the thermal cycle test is controlled to be prioritized over the execution of the power cycle test in the case where a fall of temperature of the power semiconductor device to be tested takes more time in the power cycle test than a temperature fall time of the power semiconductor device to be tested defined in the thermal cycle test owing to heat storage in the power semiconductor device to be tested. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The power cycle test method as claimed in claim 7, wherein in the case where a temperature of the power semiconductor device to be tested fails to reach a target heating temperature within the thermal cycles in the thermal cycle test owing to a capacity of the temperature changing device, further progression of the thermal cycles is temporarily stopped until the temperature reaches the target heating temperature.