Thermal and Reliability Characterization of an Epoxy Resin-Based Double-Side Cooled Power Module

Journal Article · 06 September 2021 · Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4071/imaps.1427774 · OSTI ID:2324741

Cheng, Tzu-Hsuan ^[1]; Nishiguchi, Kenji ^[2]; Fukawa, Yoshi ^[3]; Baliga, B. Jayant  ^[4]; Bhattacharya, Subhashish  ^[4]; Hopkins, Douglas C.  ^[4]

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1. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); North Carolina State University
2. Risho Kogyo Co., LTD, Tokyo (Japan)
3. TechDream, Inc., Hayward, CA (United States)
4. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)

Wide-Band Gap (WBG) power devices have become a promising option for high-power applications due to the superior material properties over traditional Silicon. To not limit WBG devices’ mother nature, a rugged and high-performance power device packaging solution is necessary. This study proposes a Double-Side Cooled (DSC) 1.2 kV half-bridge power module having dual epoxy resin insulated metal substrate (eIMS) for solving convectional power module challenges and providing a cost-effective solution. The thermal performance outperforms traditional Alumina (Al2O3) Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) DSC power module due to moderate thermal conductivity (10 W/mK) and thin (120 mm) epoxy resin composite dielectric working as the IMS insulation layer. This novel organic dielectric can withstand high voltage (5 kVAC @ 120 μm) and has a Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) of 300°C, which is suitable for high-power applications. In the thermal-mechanical modeling, the organic DSC power module can pass the thermal cycling test over 1,000 cycles by optimizing the mechanical properties of the encapsulant material. In conclusion, this article not only proposes a competitive organic-based power module but also a methodology of evaluation for thermal and mechanical performance.

• Research Organization: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: EE0008345
• OSTI ID: 2324741
• Journal Information: Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging, Journal Name: Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 18; ISSN 1551-4897
• Publisher: International Microelectronics And Packaging Society (IMAPS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English