Molded Power Semiconductor Package With IMS Thermal Redistribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
High power semiconductor applications require significant chip area and efficient thermal management, which conventional power modules struggle to address due to inadequate thermal redistribution in parallelized molded power devices.
Innovation Solution
A power semiconductor device featuring a molded package with exposed metallic regions for primary thermal pathways, combined with an insulated metal substrate (IMS) that includes a copper layer attached to the metallic region, an aluminum layer, and an organic isolation layer, ensuring effective thermal management without electrical rerouting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional power modules with DBC or AMB substrates are used, then electrical connectivity and thermal management are achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive DBC (direct bonded copper) or AMB (active metal brazed) substrates with a simpler, more cost-effective molded package structure. The molded package uses standard plastic molding processes and basic metal traces, eliminating the need for complex brazing or direct bonding operations, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrical connectivity function from the substrate structure itself and relocates it to separate metal traces embedded within the molded package. This separation allows the substrate to focus solely on mechanical support and thermal management, while electrical connections are established through dedicated trace pathways, simplifying the overall substrate design.
2Ease of manufacture
If parallelized molded power devices are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but thermal redistribution becomes inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar thermal management to three-dimensional thermal pathways by embedding metal traces vertically and horizontally within the molded package structure. These traces create multiple thermal conduction pathways that distribute heat from the power devices in both lateral and vertical dimensions, effectively managing thermal redistribution without requiring complex external heat sinks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metal traces as intermediary thermal conduction elements embedded within the molded package material. These traces act as thermal bridges between the power devices and the external environment, facilitating efficient heat transfer through the package structure without requiring direct contact with external heat dissipation components.
3Temperature
If copper layer is used for thermal pathway, then thermal conductivity improves, but electrical rerouting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the copper layer into isolated trace regions that are spatially separated and electrically isolated from each other. Each copper trace is confined to a specific functional area and is prevented from creating unintended electrical connections through the use of isolation grooves or dielectric barriers, thereby maintaining electrical isolation while preserving thermal conduction pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an organic isolation layer as an intermediary barrier between copper traces that could potentially create electrical connections. This isolation layer allows thermal energy to pass through while blocking electrical current, thereby enabling thermal conduction without electrical rerouting between adjacent copper regions.
4Ease of manufacture
If DBC or AMB substrates are replaced with simpler structures, then manufacturing cost decreases, but thermal management capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure combining the molded package material with embedded metal traces. This composite construction integrates thermal conduction pathways directly into the package structure, allowing efficient heat transfer from the power devices through the molded material to external heat sinks, thereby maintaining thermal management capability while using simpler, more cost-effective materials than DBC or AMB substrates.
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 provides adequate thermal redistribution for high power applications, reducing system costs by using IMS instead of more expensive DBC or AMB substrates, while maintaining electrical isolation and ensuring the integrity of the organic isolation layer.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic region exposed at a topside of the molded package forms part of a primary thermal pathway for heat dissipated by the one or more power semiconductor dies during operation; and an insulated metal substrate (IMS) comprising a copper layer attached to the metallic region
Implementation Method 2
an organic isolation layer that electrically isolates the copper layer and the aluminum layer from one another
Data Source
AI summary
A power semiconductor device includes a molded package and an insulated metal substrate (IMS). The molded package includes one or more power semiconductor dies embedded in a mold compound and forming part of a power electronics circuit A metallic region exposed at a topside of the molded package forms part of a primary thermal pathway for heat dissipated by the one or more power semiconductor dies during operation. The IMS includes a copper layer attached to the metallic region exposed at the topside of the molded package, an aluminum layer at an opposite side of the IMS as the copper layer, and an organic isolation layer that electrically isolates the copper layer and the aluminum layer from one another. The copper layer provides no electrical rerouting for the molded package. A power electronics assembly including a plurality of the power semiconductor devices mounted to a circuit board is also described.