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Review
. 2023 Aug 19;14(8):1636.
doi: 10.3390/mi14081636.

Junction Temperature Optical Sensing Techniques for Power Switching Semiconductors: A Review

Ridwanullahi Isa  1 , Jawad Mirza  2 , Salman Ghafoor  3 , Mohammed Zahed Mustafa Khan  4   5 , Khurram Karim Qureshi  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Junction Temperature Optical Sensing Techniques for Power Switching Semiconductors: A Review

Ridwanullahi Isa et al. Micromachines (Basel). .

Abstract

Recent advancements in power electronic switches provide effective control and operational stability of power grid systems. Junction temperature is a crucial parameter of power-switching semiconductor devices, which needs monitoring to facilitate reliable operation and thermal control of power electronics circuits and ensure reliable performance. Over the years, various junction temperature measurement techniques have been developed, engaging both non-optical and optical-based methods, highlighting their advancements and challenges. This review focuses on several optical sensing-based junction temperature measuring techniques used for power-switching devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). A comprehensive summary of recent developments in infrared camera (IRC), thermal sensitive optical parameter (TSOP), and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensing techniques is provided, shedding light on their merits and challenges while providing a few possible future solutions. In addition, calibration methods and remedies for obtaining accurate measurements are discussed, thus providing better insight and directions for future research.

Keywords: FBG; IGBT; MOSFET; SiC; electroluminescence; junction temperature.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 7
Figure 7
(a) Electroluminescence spectrum of a SiC diode for different device currents and junction temperatures Reprinted with permission from Ref. [96], 2023, IEEE. (b) Experimental setup for TSOP technique extraction from SiC MOSFET Reprinted with permission from Ref. [105], 2023, IEEE.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of junction temperature sensing techniques for power switching semiconductor devices.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of the operating power and frequency for Si and SiC transistors (IGBT and MOSFET).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagrams for; (a) Si IGBT and (b) SiC MOSFET.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Components of a typical IRC: equalization box, thermographic system, and the system controller Reprinted with permission from Ref. [50], 2023, AIP.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Representation of equivalent radiation captured by IRC sensing technique.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) EL of a SiC MOSFET body diode. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [83]. 2023, IEEE. (b) Generic schematic of TSOP sensing technique with SiC MOSFET module.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Schematic representation of simultaneous junction temperature and current sensing approach for paralleled SiC MOSFET module Reprinted with permission from Ref. [83], 2023, IEEE.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Experimental setup for the FBG-based sensing technique for temperature measurement.
Figure 10
Figure 10
(a) Direct on-chip fiber placement for junction temperature sensing. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [114], 2023, IEEE. (b) Optical fiber installation on a grooved Si IGBT module. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [115], 2023, IEEE.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Calibration setup for an FBG-based sensing technique.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Schematic of distributed temperature sensing using FBG-based technique.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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