Richard W. Adams

Cost-effective manufacturing of aluminium silicon carbide (AlSiC) electronic packages

Current microelectronics places ever increasing demands on the performance of electronic packaging materials and systems in terms of thermal management, weight, and functionality requirements. These requirements have pushed the development of new materials and processing technologies to provide high performance packaging solutions cost-effectively. Aluminum silicon carbide (AlSiC) metal matrix composite (MMC) packages have a unique set of material properties that are ideally suited to the above requirements. The AlSiC coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value is compatible with direct IC device attachment, allowing for the maximum thermal dissipation into the high thermal conductivity (170-200 W/mK) AlSiC package. Additionally, the low material density of AlSiC (3 g/cm/sup 3/) makes it ideal for weight sensitive applications. The Ceramics Process Systems (CPS) AlSiC fabrication and processing technology provides both the material and the net-shape functional packaging geometry in one process step. This processing technology also allows the Concurrent Integration/sup TM/ of feedthroughs, seal rings and substrates, which eliminates the need for additional assembly operations. These manufacturing attributes allow AlSiC packaging to be cost competitive and offer performance advantages over competing packaging products/systems. The AlSiC packaging design process and manufacturing process is outlined through actual product examples.

AlSiC, and AlSiC Hybrid Composites for Flip Chips, Optoelectronics, Power, and High Brightness LED Thermal Management Solutions

Aluminum silicon carbide (AlSiC) metal matrix composites (MMC) are providing thermal management solutions for numerous electronics applications today for improved reliability including flip chip lids, optoelectronics packaging, power devices and high brightness LED applications. AlSiC has a high thermal conductivity (200 W/mK) and thermal expansion coefficient (TCE) values that are compatible with materials that are used in electronic assemblies. AlSiC also has high strength and high stiffness that is similar to steel at a third the weight. Integration of materials and functional components to AlSiC can be accomplished during the net-shape casting fabrication for low-cost assembly and integration. AlSiC and can be integrated with high heat dissipation materials such as thermal pyrolytic graphite (TPG), or CVD diamond to from hybrid composite structures for application that require very high heat dissipation. AlSiC composite package fabrication process provides the most cost effective means to integrate these high heat dissipation materials into an electronic packaging assembly as discussed. This paper explores the thermal management solutions provided by AlSiC and AlSiC hybrid composite products. Performance and reliability were discussed for various applications. Thermal dissipation performance was illustrated using thermal modeling of currently produced product