Article | REF: D3116 V1

Modules and power packages (packaging)

Author: Cyril BUTTAY

Publication date: May 10, 2010

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ABSTRACT

Power packages are essential components of semi-conductors. They dissipate heat and ensure the electrical connections of the chip. This article starts by presenting the characteristics of a power packages. According to variables related to heat, electricity and reliability, the performances of the various packaging solutions can be compared. The available packages are then presented. They are classified in two families: single-chip packages and modules (several chips providing one or several elementary functions). In the third part of this article, the content of the package is detailed via an analysis of each of its elementary component and an overview of the problems encountered when designing the packaging of a component is notably provided. To conclude, the materials, processes used and the reasons for their selection are presented together with the solutions which are being studied in order to improve existing ones.

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AUTHOR

  • Cyril BUTTAY: Doctorate in electrical engineering, INSA Lyon engineer - CNRS research fellow

 INTRODUCTION

Semiconductor power components first appeared over 50 years ago. During this period, their technology has advanced extraordinarily, reaching levels that in some cases approach the theoretical limits of the material: power densities handled can be well in excess of a hundred watts per square centimetre, and a chip scarcely more than a centimetre square can withstand voltages of several kilovolts or currents of over a hundred amperes.

This being the case, it's clear that the power chip's immediate environment (its casing, or in a more generic sense, its packaging) plays a vital role in its operation. This is where the chip's electrical connections and heat dissipation take place. With the excellent performance of today's power semiconductors, it's common for the package to be the main limiting factor for the component as a whole.

At first glance, this may seem surprising: why has a totally passive element like the casing, which calls on technologies that are a priori less advanced than microelectronics, not made as much progress as chips? The answer lies in the multiplicity of packaging functions. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, the task of design is to find a compromise between often contradictory imperatives: while it's relatively easy to design a thermally or electrically efficient package, or to find a low-cost solution, achieving all three objectives at the same time is like squaring a circle!

To fulfill its various roles, a housing must call on a multitude of different elements, materials and techniques. This is what we present to you in this dossier.

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Power modules and enclosures (packaging)