The art of modeling and predictive simulation in power electronics and microsystems

The continuous progress in power device and microsystems technology is increasingly supported by problem-specific modeling methodologies and dedicated simulation tools. These do not only enable the visualization of fabrication processes and operational principles, but also the detailed analysis of the device and system operation of competing design variants in a very early stage of the development process. Virtual fabrication, virtual experimentation and virtual test by computer simulations have become an integral part of the design methodology for electronic and mechatronical microstructured devices and systems in order to realize cost-efficient and time-economizing development cycles. A successful virtual design strategy requires modeling methodologies on different levels of abstraction and computational expense. We focus on some of the most important aspects, in particular the consistent treatment of electro-thermo-mechanically coupled energy domains required for setting up physically-based models for high-fidelity computer simulations. We also address the reliable validation and accurate calibration of the models, which is the indispensable prerequisite for predictive simulation, in particular for “virtual experiments” at the rim of the safe operating area.