Overcurrent for Aluminum Bonding Wires in WBG Power Semiconductors

When using Wide Band-gap Power Semiconductor Devices in power control and protection apparatus, the packaging of these devices faces unique challenges. These challenges include expected high overcurrent (for example, eight times nominal current, result from the IEC standard 60947) and high short circuit current through a relatively small chip area. This paper uses FEA simulation and laboratory testing to study bonding wire performance against the overcurrent in AC power control and protection applications and verify if bonding wires are a constraining factor in these applications.