Electro-Thermal Coupling Effects in Power Semiconductor Modules for High-Frequency Switching Applications

Power semiconductor modules are essential in high-frequency power converters because they support compact design, fast switching, and high-power density in applications such as electric vehicles, renewable-energy systems, and industrial drives. As switching frequency increases, electrical loss and thermal behavior become strongly coupled, making module performance more sensitive to temperature rise, hotspot formation, and internal stress. Earlier studies have addressed electrothermal modeling, switching-loss prediction, and thermal analysis, but they often do not capture transient heating, localized thermal concentration, and degradation-related stress within one unified framework. This study addresses that need through a coupled electro-thermal simulation model for power semiconductor modules under different high-frequency switching conditions. The study analyzes transient temperature response, internal heat propagation, current crowding, power loss, thermal stress, efficiency, and degradation indicators. The results show that higher switching frequency intensifies electro-thermal coupling, increases total loss and junction temperature, strengthens hotspot behavior, and lowers efficiency. These findings indicate that switching frequency selection must be guided by thermal-aware design to ensure safe and reliable module operation in practical power electronic systems.