System and method for thermal management of electronic devices

Abstract

A thermal management system and method for electronic devices is provided. The system includes an electronic device, a heat sink, and a thermally conducting and electrically insulating thermal bridge that is interposed between the electronic device and the heat sink. The thermal bridge thermally couples the electronic device to the heat sink and electrically isolates the electronic device from the heat sink. The electronic device, the heat sink, and the thermal bridge are mounted on a same planar surface of a printed circuit board.

Description

technical field [0001] This application relates to electronic circuits. More specifically, the present application relates to thermal management systems and methods for electronic devices. Background technique [0002] Semiconductors such as transistors and diodes are sometimes fabricated in semiconductor packages where mechanical mounting is combined with electrical connections. An example of a top view 102 and a bottom view 104 of such a package, sometimes referred to as an exposed tab package, is shown in FIG. 1 . Exposed chip semiconductor packages are sometimes used as an alternative to hermetic packages because exposed chip packages can exhibit better heat transfer capabilities, power handling capabilities, and current handling capabilities than hermetic semiconductor packages. Chipless semiconductor packages are available in at least two configurations, one as shown in Figure 1 designed to be mounted using mechanical hardware such as screws, nuts, and / or insulators,...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] Some of the disadvantages of hardware-mounted exposed chip semiconductor packages include: (1) additional mounting hardware is required to secure the device; (2) manual labor that may be required to assemble the mechanical hardware may incur additional component and assembly costs; (3) manual assembly characteristics that may be prone to error; (4) when a common heat sink is used for multiple semiconductor devices, devices with different voltages on their corresponding exposed pads must be electrically insulated from the heat sink and / or from each other; and (5) device repair and / or or replacing can be time consuming

Furthermore, the use of large circuit board copper planes or large external heat sinks that are electrically connected to the semiconductor to conduct heat away from the semiconductor may have negative effects on the performance of the electronic circuit, such as increased parasitic capacitance, and / or interference with electromagnetic interference (EMI). Production and / or increased sensitivity

[0007] Challenges created by using a common heat sink for multiple semiconductor devices include that devices with different voltages on the exposed pads must be electrically isolated from the heat sink and / or each other, and may require additional mounting hardware to secure the heat sink

Furthermore, the need to repair and / or replace one or more semiconductor devices that share a heat sink with other semiconductor devices may require removal of an external heat sink such as that shown in Figure 2, which is time consuming

Images