Thermal conductivity of Al2O3 substrates and precise 3D layer reconstruction – Key parameters for matching FEM simulations with thermal measurements

Abstract:
Virtual methods are used to speed up development cycles of power modules for industrial and automotive applications. Thermal management, in particular, is an important task for finite element simulations (FEM) because the extensive heat generated within the power chips must be dissipated efficiently. Experimental verification is inevitably required in order to achieve a high level of confidence in simulation results. Consequently, the thermal study presented here comprises thermal resistance and thermal impedance measurements as well as finite element simulations of a selected power module. The study thus identified several simulation parameters that must be determined precisely in order to reasonably match simulation and measurement results.