Thermal Management in Electronics Packaging Using Metal Substrates
Summary:
Ormet Corporation (Carlsbad, CA), developed an innovative process of producing circuit boards through the sequential build-up of multilayer circuits. The process uses electrically conductive ink in combination with a photosensitive dielectric. BMDO funded the project because it is interested in developing innovative methods to dissipate heat from circuits. Ormet’s multilayer circuit design allows the circuits to fit in a smaller package while efficiently dissipating heat. The technology could be used commercially in automotive components and small electronic devices such as cellular phones.
Technology Description:
Ormet Corporation (Carlsbad, CA), has an innovative process that can produce circuit boards through the sequential build-up of multilayer circuits. This process takes advantage of Ormet’s novel electrically conductive ink in combination with a photosensitive dielectric, permitting the use of metal substrates. The conductive ink is a metal-polymer composite based on transient liquid phase sintering (TLPS) technology. The metal portion of the composite forms an alloyed web, which provides a stable electrical and thermal conduction path. The polymer facilitates this reaction, forming an interpenetrating polymer network that can adhere to a variety of substrates including metals, ceramics, and polymers. Because the ink has a thermal conductivity similar to solder while maintaining a low processing temperature (<250°C), it can be used on aluminum substrates.
The conductive ink is being used with traditional screen-printing technology to fabricate circuitry on insulated metal substrates. Circuit layers are added sequentially to produce multilayer circuit structures. With this technique, the resulting circuits are thin. Even with the dielectric layer, blind and buried vias are possible, allowing for dense circuit design.
MDA Origins:
Ormet received BMDO SBIR Phase II funding for research to address solutions to dissipating heat from circuits.
Spinoff Applications:
By incorporating a metal substrate into the circuit board design, Ormet is able to put circuits in hot environments such as near car engines, which was not previously possible without complex cooling mechanisms. In a test, Ormet’s stacked circuit was able to dissipate heat 75 percent more efficiently than a baseline circuit board equipped with thermal vias and a heat sink for cooling. Automotive component suppliers are testing the technology, and there are potential applications for small electronic devices such as cellular phones. Cellular phones, for example, produce a great deal of heat when operating at higher frequencies.
Commercialization:
Ormet is talking to electronics manufacturers who use multilayer circuits in products.
Company Profile:
The electronics packaging company manufactures and markets interconnect products for testing, packaging, and interconnecting semiconductor devices. Ormet has a staff of 14 at its Carlsbad, CA, facility.
Contact Information:
Dr. Goran Matijasevic
Director of Development
Ormet Corporation
2236 Rutherford Road Suite 123
Carlsbad CA 92008
Tel:760-931-7090
Fax:760-431-6971
email: ormet@pacbell.net
web: www.ormetcircuits.com
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