Printed Circuit Board Inlay Design for High-Power Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current SMD technologies struggle with heat removal from high-power output stage transistors, especially at elevated temperatures, due to high thermal resistance and limited inlay size, which restricts the use of high-power components and leads to potential component destruction or power reduction.
Innovation Solution
A printed circuit board design featuring a significantly larger inlay that extends below the connecting pins of high-power components, allowing for a larger cooling body with improved cooling power, and an additional thin layer for insulation and heat transfer, enabling efficient heat conduction without short circuits or electrical interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a larger inlay is used to improve heat conduction, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but the risk of short circuits between pins and inlay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlay is segmented into multiple separate inlays positioned below individual connecting pins, with insulating material filling the spaces between them. This segmentation allows each inlay to be electrically isolated, preventing short circuits while maintaining comprehensive heat conduction coverage across all pins.
Solution Approach 2:
An insulating material is introduced as an intermediary substance between the inlays and the connecting pins, and between adjacent inlays. This insulating layer prevents direct electrical contact (short circuits) while allowing thermal energy to pass through via the inlays, thus resolving the contradiction between heat conduction and electrical isolation.
2Temperature
If the inlay extends beyond the pin distances to improve heat conduction area, then heat dissipation is improved, but electrical connection options for pins are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous inlay is divided into separate segments positioned beneath individual pins. This segmentation allows the inlay to extend beyond pin distances for improved heat conduction area while maintaining electrical connection flexibility, as each pin can independently connect to its underlying inlay segment without interference from adjacent inlays.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlay structure is designed with local variations in extent and positioning tailored to each pin's requirements. Each inlay segment can extend to optimize heat conduction for its specific pin while the insulating material ensures electrical isolation, allowing local optimization without compromising overall electrical connection flexibility.
3Temperature
If manual assembly is used for high-power output stage transistors, then heat removal effectiveness is improved, but production efficiency and automation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The printed circuit board design with its integrated inlay structure provides self-service heat removal capability. The inlays are pre-positioned and electrically isolated to automatically conduct heat from each pin to the cooling body without requiring manual assembly or adjustment, thus maintaining heat removal effectiveness while enabling automated production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlays and insulating materials are pre-positioned and pre-configured during the printed circuit board manufacturing process before the high-power output stage transistors are mounted. This preliminary action ensures that when the transistors are installed, the heat conduction paths are already in place, eliminating the need for manual assembly while maintaining effective heat removal.
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
This design enhances heat dissipation, supports the use of more powerful components, reduces thermal resistance, and eliminates the need for manual assembly, while maintaining electrical connectivity and preventing high-frequency interference.
Implementation Method 1
an inlay (5) integrated between the layers (L2 to L5) in the plane of the multilayer printed circuit board (1)... to direct through the printed circuit board (1) heat of at least a single SMD component (6) arranged on the one side of the circuit board above the inlay (5), which heats up during operation, with associated connecting pins (7) and a heating area (15) arranged between the pins (7), through to a cooling body (13) arranged on the other side of the circuit board
Implementation Method 2
an additional thin layer for insulation and heat transfer, enabling efficient heat conduction without short circuits or electrical interference
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a printed board which comprises an inlay and on whose one face electrical components are provided and on whose other face at least one single cooling element for cooling the components is mounted. A component to be cooled, the inlay and the cooling element are aligned with each other. The components are SMD components of, e.g., a high-power output stage circuit with heat emissions of up to 10 to 15 watt. In order to cool the structure, the heat produced in a heating zone between the pins of a component to be cooled is guided to the inlay which is dimensioned in such a manner that it extends farther than below the pins of the component to be cooled. In order to prevent short-circuits and allow power connections, an additional layer is arranged on the printed board above the inlay and simultaneously below the component to be cooled and comprises thermic provisions between a component to be cooled and the inlay for ensuring a good to excellent heat conduction from the heating zone of a component to be cooled to the inlay.