Field-Graded Power Converter Assembly for Higher Power Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power converters face limitations in power density due to the need for mechanical fastening of components, which compromises compactness and thermal performance, as interface materials required for interconnecting substrates reduce thermal efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A power converter design utilizing a field graded substrate with blended conductor and insulator materials, integrated heat sinks, and additive manufacturing processes to create a highly-integrated, thermally and mechanically compatible system with enhanced power density, featuring a first conductor layer, graded layer, and second conductor layer with an insulator core, along with power device dies and power conditioning components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mechanical fastening and interface materials are used to assemble power converters, then ease of assembly is improved, but thermal performance deteriorates and power density is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (substrates, heat sinks, interconnectors) into a single integrated power converter assembly. The field graded substrate serves as both the mounting platform and thermal management system, eliminating the need for separate interface materials and mechanical fasteners, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and thermal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the thermal interface materials and mechanical fastening components from the traditional assembly. By removing these elements that hinder thermal performance, the patent achieves direct thermal contact between power devices and heat sinks while maintaining ease of assembly through the integrated design.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional substrate interconnection methods are used, then ease of assembly is improved, but thermal performance deteriorates due to interface material
Solution Approach 1:
The field graded substrate integrates the functions of mechanical support, electrical connection, and thermal management into a single component. This merging eliminates the need for separate interface materials between substrates, thereby improving thermal efficiency while maintaining ease of assembly through the unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs field graded materials that composite conductor and insulator properties within a single substrate structure. This composite approach allows direct thermal and electrical pathways without requiring additional interface materials, resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and thermal efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If components are mechanically fastened together, then structural stability is improved, but power density deteriorates due to increased volume and reduced compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of heat sinks, power devices, and interconnectors into a single field graded substrate assembly eliminates the volume occupied by separate mechanical fastening components and interface materials. This merging maintains structural stability through the integrated design while maximizing power density by removing unnecessary space-consuming elements.
4Ease of manufacture
If interface materials are used for substrate interconnection, then ease of assembly is improved, but thermal performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates thermal interface materials from the assembly process. The field graded substrate is designed to provide direct thermal contact between components without requiring any interface materials, thereby maintaining ease of assembly through the integrated design while significantly improving thermal performance by removing the thermal barrier.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables increased power density and improved thermal performance by eliminating the need for external interface materials, reducing mechanical and electrical stress, and allowing for complex geometries that enhance cooling efficiency without requiring mechanical force for interconnections.
Implementation Method 1
The field graded substrate includes a first conductor layer, a graded layer that blends conductor and insulator material, and a second conductor layer
Implementation Method 2
a heat sink is integrally formed with the second conductor layer
Implementation Method 3
The heat sink includes a base plate and a plurality of cooling fins
Implementation Method 4
a polymer layer on the field graded substrate, and one or more conductors over the polymer layer
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter includes a field graded substrate, a plurality of power device dies attached to the field graded substrate, a polymer layer on the field graded substrate, one or more conductors over the polymer layer, and a plurality of power conditioning components mounted on the field graded substrate to form a power converter circuit. The field graded substrate includes a first conductor layer, a graded layer that blends conductor and insulator material, and a second conductor layer, the graded layer having an insulator core.