Multilevel RF Power Substrates for Heat Dissipation and Dense Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radio frequency (RF) packages face limitations in thermal dissipation and electrical routing density due to high thermal resistance in PCB-based power substrates, which restricts their performance in high-power applications and compatibility with complex circuit designs.
Innovation Solution
The development of multilevel power substrates with a base and secondary substrate level, featuring direct plating interfaces and embedded heat dissipation structures, which reduce thermal resistance and enhance structural robustness, allowing for efficient heat transfer and dense electrical routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If PCB-based power substrates are used, then electrical routing is enabled, but thermal resistance increases and thermal dissipation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The power substrate is divided into multiple levels (first level and second level) with distinct functions. The first level contains embedded metallic structures for thermal dissipation, while the second level provides electrical routing pathways. This segmentation allows each level to optimize its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between electrical routing capability and thermal resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-plane PCB structure to a multilevel three-dimensional architecture. By stacking multiple substrate levels with metallic interconnects, the design adds vertical dimensionality to both thermal management (heat sinking through embedded metals) and electrical routing (multi-layer traces), thereby achieving both low thermal resistance and effective electrical connectivity.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional power substrates are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but thermal dissipation efficiency and structural robustness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges thermal management functions and electrical routing functions into a single integrated multilevel substrate structure. The embedded metallic structures serve dual purposes: providing mechanical support and acting as heat sinks, while the multilevel architecture simultaneously handles both thermal conduction and electrical signal/power routing, achieving improved reliability without significantly complicating manufacturing.
3Reliability
If high metal content structures are embedded in PCB, then electrical connection is improved, but manufacturing complexity and fabrication difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic structures are pre-formed and embedded within the substrate layers during the manufacturing process, rather than being added as separate components afterward. This preliminary integration of high metal content structures into the PCB fabrication process itself maintains electrical connection quality while avoiding the additional complexity of post-assembly operations.
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 multilevel power substrates provide improved thermal performance, support complex circuit designs, and enable the integration of microelectronic components within RF packages, enhancing their capabilities and manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an embedded heat dissipation structure formed in the first substrate level and in the second substrate level, the embedded heat dissipation structure including a heat spreader region exposed along a backside surface of the multilevel power substrate and a thermally-conductive die mount region exposed along a die support surface of the multilevel power substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Radio frequency (RF) packages containing multilevel power substrates and associated fabrication methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes producing a multilevel substrate panel by obtaining a base panel level containing prefabricated base structures and having a surface through which metallic surfaces of the prefabricated base structures are exposed. A secondary panel level is formed on the base layer to include patterned metal features embedded in a secondary dielectric body and electrically contacting the exposed metallic surfaces of the prefabricated base structures at a direct plated interface. The presingulated array of multilevel power substrates is separated into singulated multilevel power substrates each including a base substrate level formed from a singulated piece of the base panel level and a secondary substrate level formed from a singulated piece of the secondary substrate level.