Using IGBT Reliability Information
Reliability is the probability that a semiconductor device will perform its
specified function in a given environment for a specified period of time.
Reliability is quality over time & environmental conditions.
Reliability can be defined as a probability of failure-free performance of a
required function, under a specified environment, for a given period of time.
The reliability of semiconductors has been extensively studied and the data
generated from these works is widely used in industry to estimate the
probabilities of system lifetimes. The reliability of a specific semiconductor
device is unique to the technology process used in fabrication and to the
external stress applied to the device.
In order to understand the reliability of specific product like the IGBT it is
useful to determine the failure rate associated with each environmental stress
that IGBT's encounter.
The values reported in this report are at a 60% upper confidence limit and the
equivalent device hours at state of working temperature of 90°C. It has been
shown that the failure rate of semiconductors in general. when followed for a
long period of time, exhibits what has been called a "Bathtub Curve" when
plotted against time for a given set of environmental conditions.
Classic Bathtub Curve for failure rate of solid state devices
λ
(t)
Infant
Failures
Wearout
Failures
Log Failure
Random Failures
Log Time
t
IGBT / CoPack
Quarterly Reliability Report
Page 6 of 35
IRF [ INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER ]
