High-Performance Packaging of Power Electronics
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High-Performance
Packaging of Power Electronics M.C. Shaw
Abstract Packaging of solid-state power electronics is a highly interdisciplinary process requiring knowledge of electronics, heat transfer, mechanics, and materials science. Consequently, there are numerous opportunities for innovations at the interfaces of these complementary fields. This article offers a perspective of the current state of the art and identifies six specific areas for materials-based research in power electronics packaging. The emphasis is on identifying the underlying physical relationships that link the performance of the power electronics system to the microstructure and architectural arrangement of the constituents. Keywords: microelectronics packaging and integration, fracture, layered structures, structural materials.
Introduction Power electronics include solid-state systems in which the primary function is to control or convert electrical energy, based on simple power requirements. Power electronics may be distinguished from, for example, application-specific integrated circuits or microprocessors, where instead the emphasis is usually on performing complex operations under the lowest achievable voltage and current conditions. Furthermore, like other subassemblies within the highly integrated and increasingly multifunctional solid-state microsystems of the 21st century, the design of power electronics is tightly constrained and dependent upon cost, manufacturability, environmental impact, and component availability. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review the key materials issues pertinent to the design of high-performance power electronics systems, as well as to place this design process within the context of the total system design. Packaging refers to the electrical, mechanical, and thermal interconnection and integration of solid-state devices within their surrounding system (Figure 1). Indeed, the design of power electronics packages offers a rich array of challenges and opportunities to the interdisciplinary materials scientist or materials engineer. Issues encompassing electrical/mechanical/
MRS BULLETIN/JANUARY 2003
thermal interfaces, dielectric coatings, energy-storage elements, predictive life modeling, elevated-temperature materials, high-heat-flux materials, and many others comprise the broad range of subjects the designer must address. Concurrently, numerous applications exist for innovations in materials synthesis, mechanics, thermally enhanced materials, microstructural design, health monitoring, and multifunctional materials with adjustable electrical/mechanical/thermal responses. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the role of materials selection in the design of power electronics packages; for this reason, numerous references are included to provide multiple entry points into this highly multidisciplinary field. This article is organized as follows: First, the applications for power electronics systems are reviewed in order to establish the required domains of
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