Web-Based Tool Simulates MOSFETs' Thermal Performance

A web-based tool from Vishay Siliconix offers designers a detailed simulation of how the company's MOSFETs will perform thermally and be affected by adjacent components in a wide range of applications. The ThermaSim tool, which is powered by Rebecca 3D software from Epsilon Ingenierie, speeds time to market by simulating thermal performance before a prototype is built. It's applicable to any power MOSFET design, but is especially useful in high-current, high-temperature environments such as automotive, fixed telecom, desktop and laptop computer, and industrial systems.

To increase accuracy, ThermaSim employs structurally detailed models of Vishay power MOSFETs created using finite element analysis techniques. Designers can also define other heat-dissipating components and simulate their effect on the MOSFET's thermal operation. Simulating these components ensures optimum device selection for a specific application and eliminates fallouts during thermal-performance line testing. Simulation results are e-mailed to the designers and can be downloaded into Excel. Multiple results with varying product, package, or other input data can be merged within Excel to compare and examine trends. Thermal images are supplied, and an MPEG video clip of the thermal image with transient stimulation also is available.