High-Voltage Temperature Humidity Bias Test (HV-THB): Overview of Current Test Methodologies and Reliability Performances

Abstract

The high voltage temperature humidity bias test (HV-THB) has become increasingly popular for evaluating the performances of power semiconductor devices. Given the new challenges of the power semiconductor industry, several applications and devices need to be designed to withstand harsh environments during working operations, with a remarkable focus on high-humidity conditions. The HV-THB test allows one to activate and study different failure mechanisms which were not highlighted by the standard low voltage THB test, enabling new designs in several energy conversion fields, such as energy harvesting, industry and automotive applications. After a brief introduction of current test standards, this work goes through the current methodologies and state-of-the-art of the HV-THB test. The following sections are then dedicated to the knowledge about the failure mechanisms and the models for accelerated testing. Eventually, there is a section devoted to the main passivation materials in order to understand their effects on the HV-THB capabilities of the devices.