Christina Modes

Advanced DBC - Highly Reliable and Conductive Copper Ceramic Substrates

Abstract So far Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) substrates have been the standard for power electronics. They provide excellent electrical and thermal conductivity at low cost. Weaknesses of DBC technology are the inevitable warpage and the relatively low reliability under thermal cycling. The low reliability poses a significant hurdle in particular for automotive applications with high lifetime requirements. Thick Print Copper (TPC) substrates with low warpage and excellent reliability overcome these weaknesses, but also provide a reduced conductivity at a higher cost. We present two thick-film/DBC hybrid technologies which combine the best properties of DBC and TPC: excellent conductivity, low cost, reduced warpage and excellent reliability.

Thick Film Pastes for Power Applications

Electronic circuits made by thick film technology are commonly used today in electronic circuitry for automotive applications. Densely packed multi-layer hybrid circuits are very well established for motor and transmission management in standard gasoline fuelled vehicles. As automotive technology shifts from mechanical systems to electrical systems and toward more electrically driven vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicles and full electric vehicles, thick film systems need to be adapted to fit the challenges and needs of these new applications. The following is a description of a new set of thick film pastes, both precious and base metal, which have attributes and performance suitable for power electronics in automotive applications. The materials provide a means to use common thick film technology to build power circuits to meet the new needs, such as high current carrying capacity and thermal dissipation.