Power Module Heat Transfer via Metal Fins and Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat transfer technologies in semiconductor power modules are inadequate for high-power applications, leading to overheating and potential damage due to mismatched thermal expansion coefficients, which affects reliability and requires increased cooling area without increasing substrate size or material costs.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer mechanism involving a direct-bonded-metal substrate with a metal ring and active metal-brazed metal fins, which increases the direct cooled area, reducing thermal resistance and allowing for larger semiconductor dies or smaller substrate sizes, while providing mechanical support to prevent warpage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heat transfer technologies are used, then the substrate size can be kept small, but the thermal performance is inadequate leading to overheating and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the heat transfer area from the traditional substrate surface to the vertical dimension by adding fins that protrude from the substrate. This dimensional extension increases the cooling surface area without increasing the substrate footprint, thereby improving thermal performance while maintaining compact form factor and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer surface is segmented into multiple fins rather than a single flat surface. This segmentation creates multiple independent heat dissipation pathways, increasing the total surface area for heat transfer and improving overall thermal performance without requiring a larger substrate.
2Temperature
If the cooling area is increased to improve thermal performance, then heat dissipation improves, but the substrate size and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the substrate area in the horizontal plane, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by adding fins that extend upward from the substrate surface. This approach significantly increases the cooling area while maintaining the same substrate footprint, avoiding increased material costs and substrate size.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling area is segmented into multiple fin structures that can be arranged vertically, allowing substantial increase in heat transfer surface area without proportional increase in substrate area. The fins are attached to the substrate rather than requiring additional substrate material.
3Temperature
If different materials are used for heat transfer components, then thermal performance improves, but mismatched thermal expansion coefficients cause warpage and reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the same material (aluminum or aluminum alloy) for both the substrate and the fins. This material homogeneity ensures matched thermal expansion coefficients, preventing warpage and reliability issues that would arise from using dissimilar materials with different expansion properties, while still achieving improved thermal performance through increased surface area.
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 configuration enhances thermal performance, reduces thermal resistance, and supports high-power applications by increasing the direct cooled area, enabling larger dies or smaller substrates, thus improving reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of metal fins coupled with the metal layer
Implementation Method 2
transfer heat generated by electronic components included in semiconductor device power module to, for example, surrounding air, and/or a liquid coolant
Implementation Method 3
providing mechanical support to prevent warpage
Implementation Method 4
The apparatus can also include a plurality of metal fins that can be active metal brazed to the metal layer, and a metal ring that can be active metal brazed with the metal layer
Data Source
AI summary
In one general aspect, an apparatus can include a substrate, a semiconductor die coupled with a first surface of the substrate, and a metal layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate. The second surface can be opposite the first surface. The apparatus can also include a plurality of metal fins coupled with the metal layer, and a metal ring coupled with the metal layer. The metal ring can surround the plurality of metal fins.