Methods and circuits for improved reliability of power devices operating under repetitive thermal stress
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- sensing when an active region in an active area of a power switching device is experiencing at least a threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress, wherein the power switching device comprises an input port, an output port, and a set of power device components coupled between the input port and the output port, wherein the active region of the power switching device includes activated power device components in the set of power device components, and wherein electrical current flows from the input port over the active region to the output port when the power switching device is in a conducting stage; and
activating a first subset of the power device components without activating a second subset of the power device components to dynamically bifurcate a shape of the active region into a plurality of active sub-regions in response to sensing that the active region in the active area of the power switching device is experiencing at least the threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress, wherein the electrical current flows through the first subset of the power device components without flowing through the second subset of the power device components when the power switching device is in the conducting stage, wherein dynamically bifurcating the shape of the active region reduces a temperature gradient of the active region.
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Abstract
Thermo-migration induced stress in power devices can be mitigated by deactivating a subset of power device components (e.g., transistors, etc.) when the power device experiences a high stress condition. Deactivating the subset of power device components serves to bifurcate the active area of the power switching device into smaller active regions, which advantageously changes the temperature gradients in the active area/regions. In some embodiments, a control circuit dynamically deactivates different subsets of power device components to shift the thermo-migration induced stress points to different portions of the active region over the lifetime of the power switching device.
10 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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sensing when an active region in an active area of a power switching device is experiencing at least a threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress, wherein the power switching device comprises an input port, an output port, and a set of power device components coupled between the input port and the output port, wherein the active region of the power switching device includes activated power device components in the set of power device components, and wherein electrical current flows from the input port over the active region to the output port when the power switching device is in a conducting stage; and activating a first subset of the power device components without activating a second subset of the power device components to dynamically bifurcate a shape of the active region into a plurality of active sub-regions in response to sensing that the active region in the active area of the power switching device is experiencing at least the threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress, wherein the electrical current flows through the first subset of the power device components without flowing through the second subset of the power device components when the power switching device is in the conducting stage, wherein dynamically bifurcating the shape of the active region reduces a temperature gradient of the active region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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sensing when an active area in an active region of a power switching device experiences at least a threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress, wherein the power switching device comprises an input port, an output port, and power device components coupled between the input port and the output port, and wherein electrical current flows between the input port and the output port when the power switching device is in a conducting stage; and dynamically deactivating different subsets of the power device components during different periods to dynamically bifurcate a shape of the active region of the power switching device into a plurality of active sub-regions, wherein at least one of the power device components remains activated during each of the different periods, and bifurcating the shape of the active region reduces a temperature gradient of the active region, and wherein the electrical current flows through activated power device components without flowing through the different subsets of the power device components that are deactivated during a given period when the power switching device is in the conducting stage. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A power switching device comprising:
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an input port adapted to be coupled to a load; an output port adapted to be coupled to a sink, wherein electrical current flows between the input port and the output port when the power switching device is in a conducting stage; a thermo-mechanical stress sensor configured to measure a thermo-mechanical stress of an active region of the power switching device; and a plurality of power device components coupled between the input port and the output port, wherein a first subset of the power device components are de-activated when the thermo-mechanical stress sensor indicates that the active region of the power switching device experiences at least a threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress during a first period to dynamically bifurcate a shape of the active region of the power switching device into a plurality of active sub-regions, wherein dynamically bifurcating the shape of the active region reduces a temperature gradient of the active region, and a second subset of the power device components remain activated when the thermo-mechanical stress sensor indicates that the active region of the power switching device experiences at least the threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress during the first period, and wherein the electrical current flows through the second subset of the power device components without flowing through the first subset of the power device components when the thermo-mechanical stress sensor indicates that the active region of the power switching device experiences at least the threshold amount of thermo-mechanical stress during the first period. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification