Rise time and dwell time impact on Triac solder joints lifetime during power cycling

In this paper, we analyze the rise time and dwell time impact on 16A–600V high temperature Triacs reliability subjected to power cycling. Experimental tests, performed on two TO-220 packages (insulated or not), show that rise time and dwell time have a negligible contribution on Triacs lifetime. Failure analysis confirms that the physical failure mode (the die-attach fatigue) and the failure location (the solder joints) are similar when rise and dwell durations change. Thermo-mechanical simulations (ANSYS®) were performed to get a better understanding of the effects of various ramp and dwell values on solder joints plastic work and shear stress.