A Review on Reliability of Power Electronic Components for High-Power Renewable Energy, E-mobility, and Grid Applications

Abstract

Failures associated with thermo-mechanical fatigue are one of the dominant reasons for faults in power electronic converter-based electrical systems. This review explores such thermal stress-induced reliability challenges in power converters, focusing on key package-related failure mechanisms such as bond-wire fatigue, solder degradation, and chip metallization wear-out. The study emphasizes the importance of mission-profile-based reliability assessment, highlighting the effects of operational and environmental conditions on the long-term performance of power modules. Key findings reveal how repetitive thermal cycling and environmental variations lead to critical failures, underscoring the need for effective thermal management and design-for-reliability strategies. The primary goal of this paper is the quantitative, comparative reliability analysis across multiple high-power applications, moving beyond qualitative summaries. This review aims to support future research on predictive reliability modeling, mission-profile-based lifetime estimation, and robust design strategies for wide-bandgap-based high-power converters. Ultimately, the insights provided are intended to guide the development of more robust power electronic systems for emerging energy and mobility infrastructures.