Semiconductor Power Device Thermal Substrate for Impedance Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor power devices face high thermal impedance issues due to the low thermal conductivity of their substrate materials, limiting their ability to operate at higher power configurations while maintaining safe junction temperatures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating high thermal conductivity materials like beryllium-oxide, silicon-carbide, diamond, or aluminum nitride as thermal substrates adjacent to the semiconductor power die, which are thermally and electrically coupled to the die's electrodes, creating additional heat paths to reduce effective thermal impedance between the active region and the base plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If semiconductor substrate materials are used for signal processing optimization, then signal processing performance is improved, but thermal conductivity is reduced leading to high thermal impedance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermal substrate as an intermediary component between the semiconductor power die and the heat sink plate. This thermal substrate (made of materials like beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride, or diamond) serves as a mediator that conducts heat away from the semiconductor die more effectively than the semiconductor material itself, thereby reducing thermal impedance without affecting the semiconductor's signal processing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures where the thermal substrate is composed of high thermal conductivity materials such as beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride, or diamond. These composite materials are specifically selected and combined to achieve optimal thermal management properties while maintaining electrical insulation characteristics, thus resolving the contradiction between thermal performance and electrical functionality.
2Power
If semiconductor power devices operate at higher power configurations, then power output is increased, but junction temperature exceeds safe operating limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses thermal management by introducing an additional dimensional pathway for heat dissipation. Instead of relying solely on the vertical heat path through the semiconductor substrate, the thermal substrate creates an extended thermal conduction pathway that operates in parallel, effectively adding another dimension to the heat removal mechanism and enabling higher power operation without excessive temperature rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameter (thermal conductivity) of the substrate system by replacing or supplementing the semiconductor substrate with a thermal substrate made of materials having significantly higher thermal conductivity. This parameter change in the thermal domain allows the device to dissipate heat more efficiently, thereby supporting higher power configurations while maintaining safe junction temperatures.
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 significantly reduces the effective thermal impedance, allowing semiconductor power devices to operate at higher power configurations while maintaining junction temperatures within a safe range.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one thermal substrate produces at least one more heat path between the active region of the semiconductor power die and the base plate so as to reduce the effective thermal impedance between the active region and the base plate
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor power device including a base plate, a semiconductor power die disposed on the base plate, an input lead by way the semiconductor power die receives an input signal, an output lead by way an output signal generated by the semiconductor power die is sent to another device, and at least one thermal substrate disposed on the base plate adjacent to the semiconductor power die, wherein a set of electrodes of the semiconductor power die are thermally and electrically coupled to a metallization layer on the thermal substrate. The thermal substrate may be comprised of a relatively high thermal conductivity material, such as beryllium-oxide (Be), silicon-carbide (SiC), diamond, aluminum nitride (AlN), or others. The thermal substrate produces at least one more heat path between the active region of the semiconductor power die and the base plate so as to reduce the effective thermal impedance.