Application of Diamond in Power Device Modules

Abstract

Module technology has become the most successful technology for power devices. The sandwich structure of the module serves as both an electrical insulator and heat sink to remove the heat generated in the device. Typical heat fluxes of 200 W/cm2 through the chip substrate interface make it necessary to develop modules with a lower thermal resistance than those available today. With the recent advances in diamond technology, diamond substrates which have unique heat conducting properties are now available. Presented here are the first applications of diamond films in power device modules in combination with a new joining technology. The thermal behaviour of these modules has been simulated. Following the simulations, power device modules with a diamond film were produced. Investigations with a scanning acoustic microscope showed that there is good mechanical contact between the diamond and the adjacent layers. The thermal resistance of the modules was measured. The results are in good agreement with those of the simulations. They show that the application of diamond films in power modules for heat conduction and heat spreading is feasible. It is demonstrated that diamond films together with an advanced joining technology provide a considerable improvement in thermal management compared with state‐of‐the‐art technologies.

Citation

Fiegl, B., Hibler, M., Kiffe, W., Koch, F., Kuhnert, R., Messer, R. and Schwarzbauer, H. (1994), "Application of Diamond in Power Device Modules", Microelectronics International, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 15-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb044539