The advent of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), has enabled power electronics with increasing current densities and switching frequencies. A byproduct of these improved electrical characteristics is an increase in thermal power density. &nbsp;Indeed,, the full capability of WBG semiconductors may be underutilized if the thermal management solution cannot keep pace with the device heat generation density. Further, as many power electronics devices are integrated into a power module form factor containing a metal baseplate to allow heat spreading from the high heat fluxes generated at the semiconductor dies, system integrators are often sensitive to cost and weight considerations in building up systems with traditional power module designs. In this paper, a polymer baseplate with integrated microconvective cooling (PBIMC) is designed and built as a low-weight, cost-effective alternative for metal baseplates on power module devices. Microconvective cooling, featuring optimized single-phase impingement cooling and effluent fluid flow control, provides high power density heat removal from localized heat flux areas in power module packages to obviate the need for a metal heat spreader. Conjugate heat transfer simulations are presented to predict thermofluidic performance of the PBIMC, displaying die area-averaged heat transfer coefficients as high as 100 kW/m2-K. Thermal performance is tested on a thermal test vehicle representative of a half bridge IGBT power module, achieving equivalent per IGBT case-to-fluid thermal resistances as low as 0.1K/W over a ≈1cm2 chip heat load area. The prototype-level polymer baseplates showed a &gt;70% decrease in weight compared to a traditional power module metal baseplate, while providing opportunities for cost savings. The study concludes that the PBIMC shows promise as a solution for high current density power electronics in weight sensitive applications while providing opportunities for cost savings.

Lightweight, Cost-Effective Power Modules Using Polymer Baseplates With Integrated Microconvective Cooling

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/InterPACK/InterPACK2021/volume/85505

ASME 2021 International Electronic Packaging Technical Conference and Exhibition (InterPACK2021)

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