ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to the thermal and reliability aspects related to the design of medium or high-power power electronics equipment. The most important criterion in packaging consists of thermal management. Reliability can be shown as a probability distribution of cumulative failures. Reliability of power electronics equipment has become a priority for any system developer. The manufacturer provided reliability data is based on measurements and accelerated life tests. The reliability of the power semiconductor module depends on many different physical and chemical processes. Manufacturers of power semiconductor devices consider reliability within the new technologies. The theory of reliability is herein revisited and the peculiar aspects of applying this theory to power electronics equipment are revealed. The entire field of reliability prognosis and estimation is under major investigation and we may expect to see more standards and software tools in the near future.
