Power Semiconductor Devices Testing and Application

This activity is performed at Department of Energy (DENERG).
Contact person: Salvatore Musumeci (salvatore.musumeci@polito.it).

Power semiconductor switches have a key role in the development of enabling technologies applied in electric vehicles, charging station infrastructure, solar and wind power plants, and industrial machinery.Advanced power devices such as IGBTs and wide-gap MOSFETs are increasingly applied in power converters to improve efficiency and dynamic performance. The performance optimization of power electronic components depends both on the used technologies and on the driving, protection and thermal management circuit solutions.The characterization, modelling and application of devices in hardware testing systems allows its performance optimization.Furthermore, the use of complex converter circuits also implies a study on the reliability of the components to better understand the life cycle and the duration in terms of years of these critical applications especially when it comes to allowing a continuity of service or in dangerous situations for human health.

Main Topics   

• Advanced wide-bandgap power MOSFET testing and IGBT testing in hardware work-bench system.
• Analysis of fault conditions and reliability.
• Optimization of dynamic characteristic and protection of power switching devices.
• Modelling of silicon and wide-bandgap power devices in power converter applications.
• Thermal management of power switching devices.