Semiconductor Light Emitting Device Mount With Through-Carrier Metal Leads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional silicon mounts for semiconductor light emitting devices become inadequate for high-power operations due to increased thermal resistance, necessitating a solution that provides low thermal resistance while being inexpensive, easy to handle, and easy to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A mount comprising a carrier with metal leads on its bottom surface and a cavity extending through its thickness, allowing for efficient heat conduction using a multilayer structure like a thin gold layer connected to a thick copper layer, which is easy to handle and manufacture, and can be made from various materials including silicon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional silicon mounts are used for high-power semiconductor devices, then the mount structure is simple and inexpensive, but the thermal resistance increases making heat dissipation inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mount uses a composite structure combining silicon carrier with metal leads (such as copper or aluminum) to create a hybrid thermal conduction path. The metal leads provide superior thermal conductivity while the silicon carrier maintains structural integrity and electrical isolation, achieving efficient heat dissipation without requiring complete replacement of the silicon mount structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management function is segmented into two distinct components: the silicon carrier handles mechanical support and electrical isolation, while the metal leads specifically handle thermal conduction. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with metal leads providing low thermal resistance paths from the semiconductor device to the heat sink.
2Loss of energy
If the entire thermal path is made of metal to improve heat conduction, then thermal resistance decreases, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire mount structure metal, the invention applies metal leads only in the critical thermal conduction zones where heat must be extracted from the semiconductor device. The silicon carrier retains its properties for electrical isolation and mechanical support, creating localized metal pathways that provide low thermal resistance without requiring complete structural replacement.
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 effectively conducts heat away from the semiconductor light emitting device, improving thermal management and maintaining ease of handling and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
Such an arrangement may efficiently conduct heat away from the semiconductor light emitting device, since the entire thermal path from the semiconductor structure through the leads is metal
Data Source
AI summary
A mount for a semiconductor device includes a carrier, at least two metal leads disposed on a bottom surface of the carrier, and a cavity extending through a thickness of the carrier to expose a portion of the top surfaces of the metal leads. A semiconductor light emitting device is positioned in the cavity and is electrically and physically connected to the metal leads. The carrier may be, for example, silicon, and the leads may be multilayer structures, for example a thin gold layer connected to a thick copper layer.