Simulation is more than Software

Free Trial Version
0
Wishlist
0 0
Cart

Directcontact
EN
Extraction of electrical parasites in power modules with Ansys Q3D
To avoid low parasitic inductances even during development, the influence of 3D circuit design is determined by simulations.

Development of novel power modules

Sector: Electrical engineering/electronicsSpecialist field: Electromagnetics

The Packaging and Interconnection Technology Department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, specializes in the development of novel service modules. With Ansys Q3D and CADFEM, a workflow has been set up to avoid electrical parasites.

Summary

Task

Low parasitic inductances of the power paths, the commutation cells and the gate controls play the key role for an efficient functioning of the SiC-H bridges. Furthermore, a symmetrical current distribution is very important. Simulation is required to actively design these properties even in the early development phase.

Solution

With Ansys Q3D Extractor, the frequency-dependent parasitic electrical properties "R, L, C" of the circuit layout are extracted based on the geometrical structure. New layouts can be tested and optimized with respect to their impedances and different variants of the circuit topology can be tested virtually.

Customer benefits

With simulations, Fraunhofer IISB can accelerate its innovations by testing new concepts on virtual prototypes. For the first time, Ansys Q3D allows the visualization of switching behavior and power distribution before building a demonstrator.

Project Details

Task

The Fraunhofer Institute IISB specializes in the development of novel power modules. These are based on wide-bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) for fast switching power electronics. Low parasitic inductances of the power paths, the commutation cells and the gate controls play the key role for an efficient functioning of these modules. Furthermore, a symmetrical current distribution is very important. In order to actively design these properties in the early development phase and to check them during the design process, the influence of the three-dimensional circuit design is elegantly determined by simulations. Fraunhofer IISB also performs these calculations on behalf of many industrial customers. Consequently, a comfortable and fast workflow for the calculations plays an important role.


Customer Benefit

With simulations, Fraunhofer IISB can accelerate its innovations by testing new concepts on virtual prototypes. Not only does the high speed of the design analysis play a role here, but Ansys Q3D for the first time enables the representation of the switching behavior and the current distribution before building a demonstrator. This leads to a quick understanding of the design characteristics and supports the developers in making the right design decisions at an early stage. The intuitive operation of the software allows engineers to concentrate on the essential design aspects. The easy handling of the software and the fast and accurate results are especially important for the economic efficiency of ordering calculations.


Solution

With Ansys Q3D Extractor, the frequency-dependent parasitic electrical properties "R, L, C" of the circuit layout are extracted based on the geometrical structure. The geometry of the power modules includes the arrangement of the electrical components based on the circuit topology, the material thicknesses, the distances and the cable routing. A spice model for the analog simulation of the switching behavior is automatically generated from these results. Capacitive and inductive couplings are also taken into account. In this way, new layouts can be tested and optimized with regard to their impedances, and a wide variety of circuit topology variants can be tested easily without having to create the structure as a real demonstrator. For example, the most advantageous integration of clamping networks or filter structures can be analyzed. Among other things, the semiconductor chip-based RC snubber, which was developed and produced by the IISB itself, was successfully simulated and optimized in the commutation circuit.

Images: © Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH


Business Development

Related products and training offers