"Because electric vehicles are products intended to be used for at least 10 years, accelerated testing is essential for verifying the lifespan of automotive power semiconductors, enabling them to be validated in a short period of time."

At the '2025 e4ds Tech Day' event held on September 9, NI-Emerson T&M Director Sung-Woong Yong presented on the topic of 'High-Power Semiconductor Dynamic Reliability Test Solution', suggesting a new approach to the reliability evaluation of power semiconductors.

Conventional silicon (Si)-based semiconductors have been used reliably in various electronic products for a long time.

On the other hand, the situation has changed as major electric vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla, have adopted wide bandgap semiconductors based on silicon carbide (SiC).

The new material, SiC, demonstrates excellent performance in high-temperature and high-voltage environments, but its reliability is questionable due to a lack of real-world data.

Director Sung Woong-yong said, “Because electric vehicles are products that are used for at least 10 years, it is necessary to verify the lifespan of semiconductors in a short period of time.He emphasized that “a thorough test is essential.”

He cited the durability testing of IKEA chairs as an example, explaining that the method of predicting a product's lifespan through repeated physical stress and UV exposure could also be applied to semiconductors.

Accelerated testing is a key method for evaluating the lifetime and reliability of semiconductors in a short period of time.

This is a method to quickly identify the point of failure or deterioration characteristics of a product by intentionally applying excessive stress such as heat, voltage, current, humidity, and vibration that semiconductors will experience in an actual usage environment.

This allows for reliable life predictions before products are released to the market, and is also a great help in design improvement and quality assurance.

For reliability testing of power semiconductors, there are the AQG324 guidelines led by European automobile manufacturers and the JDEC global semiconductor standard.

AQG324 was created by major German automakers, including BMW and VW, to establish test standards tailored to real-world vehicle environments, and is characterized by its rapid technology adoption and effectiveness-centered approach.

On the other hand, JDEC establishes standards over a long period of time based on data from various researchers, which has high reliability and verifiability, but has the disadvantage of being slow to be applied.

“The automotive industry must respond to rapidly changing market conditions, so AQG324’s pragmatic approach may be more appropriate,” said Director Sung Woong-yong.

Conventional static testing is a method of evaluating the durability of semiconductors by continuously applying a constant voltage.

On the other hand, there was a problem in SiC semiconductors that it was difficult to accurately predict the lifespan using this method.

Accordingly, NI developed a dynamic test system that cycles voltage.We are conducting tests by changing the environment into an enemy and simulating the actual use environment of semiconductors.

In particular, NI is developing equipment that reflects both AQG324 and JDEC test standards, and is collaborating with major German automotive and parts manufacturers to precisely analyze the lifespan and performance of semiconductors through various test items such as dynamic gate stress (DGS), dynamic reverse bias (DRB), and H3 TRB.

NI has been participating in the AQG324 group since 2017, contributing to the establishment of test standards and also providing test services centered around its German research institute.

Director Sung Woong-yong stated, “Interest in the AQG324 is growing in Korea as well, and NI is contributing to enhancing the technological competitiveness of domestic companies through customized test solutions.”