Modular application relevant stress testing for next generation power semiconductors

New applications such as renewable energy sources demand reliable operating lifetimes beyond 15 years. To validate the robustness of power semiconductors, it is paramount to investigate the effects and interactions of various failure and degradation mechanisms. In particular, the degradation of power semiconductors under application relevant stress test conditions until their end-of-life is of interest. The difficulties with such application relevant end-of-life testing is that test systems are very complex and costly. In addition, it is difficult to protect the devices under test sufficiently for post failure analysis without interfering too much with the operation itself. This paper presents a modular test system that can be configured to apply different operating scenarios and apply application relevant stress to the devices under test. Within the presented system, numerous safety features have been implemented to minimize the damage to a failed device under test so that it may undergo further analysis. By making applications relevant stress testing feasible and capable of end-of-life testing, we hope to contribute to making future power electronic system more reliable.