Contribution to the study of aging mechanisms and the development of defect indicators for wide-bandgap power electronics semiconductors (Ref : 16 EN)

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) est un acteur majeur de la recherche et de la formation dans les domaines de l’énergie, du transport et de l’environnement. De la recherche à l’industrie, l’innovation technologique est au cœur de son action, articulée autour de quatre priorités stratégiques : CLIMAT, ENVIRONNEMENT ET ÉCONOMIE CIRCULAIRE, ÉNERGIES RENOUVELABLES, MOBILITÉ DURABLE et HYDROCARBURES RESPONSABLES.

L’engagement d’IFPEN en faveur d’un mix énergétique durable se traduit par des actions visant :

• à gagner en efficacité énergétique ;
• à réduire les émissions de CO2 et de polluants ;
• à améliorer l’empreinte environnementale de l’industrie et des transports ;

tout en répondant à la demande mondiale en mobilité, en énergie et en produits pour la chimie.

Dans cet objectif, IFPEN développe des solutions permettant, d’une part, d’utiliser des sources d’énergie alternatives et, d’autre part, d’améliorer les technologies existantes liées à l’exploitation des énergies fossiles.

Contribution to the study of aging mechanisms and the development of defect indicators for wide-bandgap power electronics semiconductors

The transition to sustainable electric mobility is essential for addressing global environmental issues, including climate change, resource depletion, and rising energy demand. Power converters are among the most essential technologies for this transition, particularly in the automotive and aerospace industries. Emerging wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technology paves the way for highly integrated motor drives in electrified transportation systems, including electric vehicles. The short switching times and low resistance of WBG technology significantly reduce switching and conduction losses, improving power density (kW/L) and specific power (kW/kg).

In the field of power electronics, wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), are emerging as alternatives to traditional silicon-based components. These materials offer superior thermal stability, high efficiency, and fast switching capabilities. However, despite these advantages, SiC and GaN components face challenges regarding long-term reliability and manufacturing scalability due to their low maturity.

This internship proposal aims to address these challenges by focusing on the aging mechanisms of these components to improve their reliability and lifetime for use in sustainable electric mobility and energy systems

Objective of the internship:

The main goal of the internship is to contribute to the study of aging and to monitor the health of power converters that use wide-bandgap semiconductors for sustainable electric mobility. The internship has three main objectives:

1. Conduct a literature review on the factors responsible for aging and their impact on WBG components
2. Developing models to simulate the aging phenomenon, focusing on innovative models based on theory, experimentation, or a combination of the two, and that can be enhanced by AI learning
3. Identification of relevant and reliable indicators for detecting the presence of incipient defects.

Required profile:

Engineering school student or Master's degree student with solid knowledge of electrical engineering, power electronics, and signal processing.

• Desired technical skills:
  • Knowledge of power electronics and semiconductor components (SiC, GaN),
  • Proficiency in simulation tools such as Matlab/Simulink and LTSpice.

Keywords: Power electronics, SiC, GaN, fault detection, fault indicator, health monitoring.