The present disclosure relates to a substrate, and more particularly to a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate.
Power chips in a power module of current electrical/hybrid vehicles operate on high power, and therefore need to be disposed on thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrates for heat dissipation.
However, referring to
In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacy, the present disclosure provides a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate that includes a thermally conductive base, an electrically insulating layer, and one or more metal sheets. The electrically insulating layer is disposed on the thermally conductive base, and the one or more metal sheets are disposed on the electrically insulating layer. The metal sheet is allowed to have one or more chips arranged thereon, and at least a part of a surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip is not parallel to a surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet.
In certain embodiments, the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip and the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet are perpendicular to each other.
In certain embodiments, the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip and the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet have an acute included angle therebetween.
In certain embodiments, the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip and the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet have an obtuse included angle therebetween.
In certain embodiments, a width of a first metal sheet of the metal sheets is different from a width of a second metal sheet of the metal sheets, and a quantity of the chips allowed to be disposed on the second metal sheet is greater than a quantity of the chips allowed to be disposed on the first metal sheet.
In certain embodiments, distances between the metal sheets are different. In certain embodiments, one end of the metal sheet is inserted into the electrically insulating layer.
In certain embodiments, one end of the metal sheet is embedded within the electrically insulating layer.
In certain embodiments, one end of the metal sheet is in an L-shape and is engaged with the electrically insulating layer.
In certain embodiments, one end of the metal sheet is in an inverted T-shape and is engaged with the electrically insulating layer.
In certain embodiments, a thermally conductive layer is formed on the surface of the metal sheet, and the thermally conductive layer is made of graphite or graphene.
In certain embodiments, the metal sheets that are adjacent to each other have an electrically insulating mold arranged therebetween.
In certain embodiments, the electrically insulating mold is made of a high-binding polymer material.
In certain embodiments, the electrically insulating mold is made of a non-metallic material with low electrical conductivity, and the electrically insulating mold has a polymer layer that is attached to a surface of the electrically insulating mold.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate that includes a thermally conductive base, an electrically insulating layer, and at least one metal sheet. The electrically insulating layer is disposed on the thermally conductive base, and the at least one metal sheet is disposed on the electrically insulating layer. The metal sheet has at least one chip arranged thereon, and at least a part of a surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is engaged with the chip is not parallel to a surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet.
In certain embodiments, the metal sheet is a metal sheet with pre-soldered chips and lead wires.
In certain embodiments, a width of a first metal sheet of the metal sheets is different from a width of a second metal sheet of the metal sheets, and a quantity of the chips disposed on the second metal sheet is greater than a quantity of the chips disposed on the first metal sheet.
In certain embodiments, the metal sheets that are adjacent to each other have an electrically insulating mold arranged therebetween.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate that includes a thermally conductive base, an electrically insulating layer, and one or more metal sheets. The electrically insulating layer is disposed on the thermally conductive base, and the one or more metal sheets are disposed on the electrically insulating layer. The metal sheet is bent downwardly, so that a hollow structure is formed between the metal sheet and the electrically insulating layer, the metal sheet has one or more chips arranged thereon, and a surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is engaged with the chip is parallel to a surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet.
In certain embodiments, the hollow structure has a flowing working fluid therein.
Therefore, by virtue of “at least a part of the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip being not parallel to the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet”, the thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate provided by the present disclosure can be formed into a structure that has a plurality of chips arranged thereon, such that a utilization rate of the thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate can be effectively increased.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
The described embodiments may be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure.
The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way.
Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first”, “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.
Referring to
As mentioned above, the electrically insulating layer 20 is disposed on the thermally conductive base 10. The thermally conductive base 10 can be an aluminum heat sink or a metal substrate having heat dissipation properties, but is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the electrically insulating layer 20 can be made of a high-binding polymer material, such as epoxy resin, so as to increase a binding property. In addition, the electrically insulating layer 20 can also include a ceramic filler, so as to increase a thermal conductivity.
In the present embodiment, the one or more metal sheets 30 are disposed on the electrically insulating layer 20, and each of the metal sheets 30 can be allowed to have one or more chips (referring to chips 300 of
More specifically, the surface of the metal sheet 30 where the metal sheet 30 is allowed to be engaged with the chip and the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20 (the mating surface 21) can be perpendicular to each other, or have an acute angle or an obtuse angle therebetween. Referring to
Furthermore, distances between the metal sheets 30 can also be adjusted according to requirements. That is to say, distances D between the metal sheets 30 can be the same or different. In addition, a width of each of the metal sheets 30 can be adjusted according to requirements. That is to say, the width of each of the metal sheets 30 can be the same or different. Moreover, referring also to the thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate shown in
Moreover, the chips 300 and lead wires (not shown in the figures) can be arranged in advance on the metal sheet 30 by soldering, so that the metal sheets 30 with the pre-soldered chips 300 and the pre-soldered lead wires are disposed on the electrically insulating layer 20 at intervals, thereby effectively speeding up a production process.
In addition, one end of the metal sheet 30 can be engaged with the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20, be inserted into the electrically insulating layer 20, or be embedded by the electrically insulating layer 20. Referring to
Moreover, the one end of the metal sheet 30 can be in an L-shape and be engaged with the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20, or be in an inverted T-shape and be engaged with the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20. Referring to
In addition, referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Specifically speaking, the metal sheet 30 is formed to have a chip engaging portion 301 and two bending portions 302 that are formed by bending downwardly from both ends of the chip engaging portion 301. A top surface and a bottom surface of the chip engaging portion 301 can each be allowed to be engaged with the one or more chips 300. The bending portion 302 is mated with the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20. The top surface and the bottom surface of the chip engaging portion 301 are parallel to the surface of the electrically insulating layer 20.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, one of the chips 300 is exemplarily disposed on the top surface of one of the chip engaging portions 301, and two of the chips 300 are exemplarily disposed on the bottom surface of the one of the chip engaging portions 301. That is to say, a quantity of the chips disposed on the bottom surface of the chip engaging portion 301 is greater than a quantity of the chips disposed on the top surface of the chip engaging portion 301. Accordingly, a flowing working fluid (such as the non-electrically conductive cooling fluid) can be further arranged in the hollow structure 80, so that a higher amount of heat generated by the larger quantity of the chips disposed on the bottom surface of the chip engaging portion 301 can be conducted away more quickly.
In addition, the present disclosure also provides a process for manufacturing a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate, which includes the following steps:
(a) providing a mold;
(b) placing one or more metal sheets in the mold;
(c) pressing the mold and the one or more metal sheets onto a thermally conductive base that has an electrically insulating layer formed on a surface; and
(d) removing the mold.
Accordingly, the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip is not parallel to the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet. In addition, a surface of the mold can have a separation layer, such as gold foil, so that the mold can be easily separated from the electrically insulating layer after the pressing process. In addition, the surface of the metal sheet can have pre-soldered chips and lead wires. In addition, the metal sheet can be encapsulated by the polymer material, and then pressed onto the electrically insulating layer. In addition, the metal sheet with the pre-soldered chips and lead wires can also be encapsulated by the polymeric material, and then pressed onto the electrically insulating layer.
In conclusion, by virtue of “at least a part of the surface of the metal sheet where the metal sheet is allowed to be engaged with the chip being not parallel to the surface of the electrically insulating layer where the electrically insulating layer is mated with the metal sheet”, the thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate provided by the present disclosure can be formed into a structure that has a quantity of chips arranged thereon, such that the utilization rate of the thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate can be effectively increased.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.