A multi-port thermal coupling model for multi-chip power modules suitable for circuit simulators

This paper investigates two compact thermal model representations for multi-chip power modules, namely the thermal impedance matrix model and the thermal admittance matrix model. The latter can shape a multi-port thermal network without controlled temperature sources, and can be readily implemented in circuit simulators. The mutual transformation between the two models and their relationship to parameters in the multi-port network are revealed. In addition, practical tips for thermal model parameter extractions based on temperature measurements and curve-fitting are discussed. The multi-port thermal model is verified by simulations and experimental results. It confirms that more accurate temperature estimation can be achieved compared with the thermal model without the thermal coupling effect.