TherMos3: a 3D electrothermal simulator for Smart Power Devices

Abstract

In this paper, we report on a novel simulation tool designed for the 3D coupled electro-thermal simulation of smart power devices, that is a tool capable of taking into account not only the electrical (and thermal) behaviour of the power device but also the different driving strategies as they are imposed by a control logic circuit which usually resides on the same chip. To validate the proposed approach, simulator results are compared to experimental data obtained on a commercial smart power device used in automotive applications