IP Library Granted Patent US 11,742,332
Granted Patent B2
US 11,742,332 · App. 16/706,028 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Methods and systems for matching both dynamic and static parameters in dies, discretes, and/or modules, and methods and systems based on the same

Inventors: Daniel John Martin (Fayetteville, AR); William Austin Curbow (Fayetteville, AR)
Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.
H01L25/072G01R31/3004H01L22/14H01L23/50H01L25/50B07C5/344
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,742,332
App. No.
16/706,028
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device binning and/or matching process includes measuring with a testing device currents and/or voltages of a device with respect to time, determining with the testing device binning and/or matching criteria for the device based on transfer data generated from the device currents and/or the voltages measured with respect to time, and outputting with the testing device the binning and/or matching criteria for the device. A system and power module are also disclosed.

Claims (69)

1. A power module, comprising:

at least one electrically conductive power substrate;

a housing arranged on the at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and

a plurality of power devices arranged on and connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate,

wherein each plurality of power devices comprise a first device characterization based on data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of each plurality of power devices within a predetermined range.

2. The power module of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate;

a second terminal;

a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and

a base plate,

wherein the first terminal comprises a contact surface located on the housing;

wherein the second terminal comprises a contact surface located on the housing; and

wherein the third terminal being electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of power devices.

3. The power module of claim 1 ,

wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of the plurality of power devices is based on an application of voltages and/or currents to each of the plurality of power devices; and

wherein the application of the voltages and/or the currents to each of the plurality of power devices comprises application of a gate voltage.

4. The power module of claim 1 ,

wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of the plurality of power devices is based on a measurement of currents and/or voltages of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time; and

wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a turn-on drain current of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time.

5. The power module of claim 1 ,

wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of the plurality of power devices is based on a determination of binning and/or matching criteria for each of the plurality of power devices based on the first device characterization; and

wherein the determination of the binning and/or matching criteria based on the first device characterization comprises a current range.

6. The power module of claim 1 , wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of the plurality of power devices is based on at least one of the following:

an application of voltages and/or currents to each of the plurality of power devices;

an application of sweeping or varying of voltages and/or currents to each of the plurality of power devices;

a measurement of currents and/or voltages of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time;

a generation of the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses based on the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices;

a selection and comparison of at least one operating point of the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses to obtain the first device characterization of each of the plurality of power devices; and

a determination of binning and/or matching criteria for each of the plurality of power devices based on the first device characterization.

7. The power module of claim 6 , wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a gate-source voltage with respect to time.

8. The power module of claim 6 , wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a turn-on drain current of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time and a gate-source voltage with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices.

9. The power module of claim 6 , wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses comprises at least one of the following: a device transfer curve, a transfer function, and data representative of an independent scalar input versus a dependent scalar output.

10. A power module, comprising:

at least one electrically conductive power substrate;

a housing arranged on the at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and

a plurality of power devices arranged on and connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate,

wherein the plurality of power devices are selected based on transfer data of the plurality of power devices.

11. The power module of claim 10 wherein the transfer data comprises at least one of the following: a device transfer curve, a transfer function, and data representative of an independent scalar input versus a dependent scalar output.

12. The power module of claim 10 wherein the plurality of power devices are matched based on the transfer data of the plurality of power devices that comprises a current range.

13. The power module of claim 10 wherein the transfer data of the plurality of power devices varies less than 20%.

14. The power module of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate;

a second terminal;

a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and

a base plate,

wherein the first terminal comprises a contact surface located on the housing;

wherein the second terminal comprises a contact surface located on the housing; and

wherein the third terminal being electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of power devices.

15. A power module, comprising:

at least one electrically conductive power substrate;

a housing arranged on the at least one electrically conductive power substrate; and

a plurality of power devices arranged on and connected to the at least one electrically conductive power substrate,

wherein each plurality of power devices comprise a first device characterization based on data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of each plurality of power devices within a predetermined range; and

wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses of the plurality of power devices is based on:

an application of voltages and/or currents to each of the plurality of power devices;

an application of sweeping or varying of voltages and/or currents to each of the plurality of power devices;

a measurement of currents and/or voltages of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time;

a generation of the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses based on the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices;

a selection and comparison of at least one operating point of the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses to obtain the first device characterization of each of the plurality of power devices; and

a determination of binning and/or matching criteria for each of the plurality of power devices based on the first device characterization.

16. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the application of the voltages and/or the currents to each of the plurality of power devices comprises application of a gate voltage.

17. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a turn-on drain current of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time.

18. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a gate-source voltage with respect to time.

19. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the measurement of the currents and/or the voltages with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices comprises a measurement of a turn-on drain current of each of the plurality of power devices with respect to time and a gate-source voltage with respect to time of each of the plurality of power devices.

20. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the data characterizing both static and dynamic losses comprises at least one of the following: a device transfer curve, a transfer function, and data representative of an independent scalar input versus a dependent scalar output.

21. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the determination of the binning and/or matching criteria based on the first device characterization comprises a current range.

22. The power module of claim 15 , wherein the determination of the binning and/or matching criteria further comprises determining secondary device characterization values;

wherein the secondary device characterization values include at least one of the following: an anticipated implementation location of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation temperature of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation configuration of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation voltage of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation current of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation environment of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated implementation humidity of each of the plurality of power devices, an anticipated number of each of the plurality of power devices implemented, an anticipated implementation location of each of the plurality of power devices, and an anticipated implementation position of each of the plurality of power devices; and

wherein the determination of the binning and/or matching criteria is based on the first device characterization and the secondary device characterization values.

Assignments (10)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Mar 26, 2026
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075280/0919 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0467 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0588 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 64185/0755 Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 072989/0001 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0113 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0381 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064185/0755 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 14, 2022
From: CREE, INC.
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 059085/0667 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 13, 2021
From: CREE FAYETTEVILLE, INC.
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 057291/0406 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2019
From: MARTIN, DANIEL JOHN; CURBOW, WILLIAM AUSTIN
To: CREE FAYETTEVILLE, INC.
Reel/Frame 051205/0172 →