Modularity is Not Enough: Demonstration of a Solderless 400 V DC, 2.5 kW Three-Phase Inverter

Abstract

This paper presents the design and experimental evaluation of a fully solderless realization of a 400 V, 2.5 kW GaN-based variable speed drive (VSD), using screw-clamped resin molds and rubber compression pads instead of soldered interconnections. The power stage uses 650 V GaN power transistors and is operated at a switching frequency of 200 kHz. The solderless demonstrator is compared to a soldered reference realization using an identical printed circuit board (PCB). Over 120 thermal cycles with heatsink temperatures up to 90 °C, the solderless contacts show no degradation in effective on-state resistances (including contact resistances). Separately, open-loop vibration sweeps from 5 Hz to 2 kHz with acceleration amplitudes above 10 g were performed on the solderless assembly and left the continuously powered demonstrator electrically intact; subsequent resistance and nominal-power checks likewise indicate no contact degradation. An initial life-cycle assessment (LCA) indicated a higher embodied carbon footprint for the solderless realization due to 3D-printed resin molds, whereas a prospectively evaluated injection-molding scenario reduces the carbon footprint to near that of the soldered reference. The solderless assembly furthermore enables non-destructive component replacement, as demonstrated after a power transistor failure, as well as component re-use. These results support the feasibility of repair-oriented, industrially relevant kilowatt-class solderless power converters.