Closed loop temperature and repetition rate control for accelerated pulse stress testing of smart power switches

Cyclic stress tests for smart power switches require a significant effort in test resources, particularly in test time, to provide statistically valid life time data. To address this issue we present a novel accelerated pulse stress test method to speed up the qualification process of smart power switches. A closed loop repetition rate controller employing individual temperature sensors stabilizes device operating points while preserving standardized test conditions. Temperature acquisition module and controller are implemented on a PXI-based system hosting a PC and an FPGA device. Finally the method is experimentally verified and lifetime data are compared to standard open loop test results.