Inorganic Insulated Metal Substrates

Abstract

Insulated metal substrates (IMS) are gaining ground in electronics applications thanks to their high thermal conductivity and low cost. However, the organic dielectrics (such as epoxy or polyimide based material) traditionally used on IMS are limited by their maximum operating temperature, generally to below 150–200 °C. Thus in high temperature applications manufacturers are restricted to using expensive inorganic substrates such as alumina (Al2O3), aluminium nitride (AlN) or silicon nitride (Si3N4). A cost-effective IMS with an inorganic dielectric would be an attractive alternative for high temperature electronics. Cambridge Nanotherm has developed an electrochemical process for building inorganic dielectric ceramic onto a metal base. Nanotherm ceramic material is nanocrystalline alumina with a grain size of 20 to 60 nanometres. This grain size plays a critical role in providing the dielectric layer with its unique combination of properties such as high thermal conductivity (6–7 W/mK), high dielectric strength (>50 V/um) and formability when applied on thin, foil-type substrates. The Nanoceramic layer can be built from 3 to 50 microns thick, depending on the breakdown voltage required. This avoids excessive dielectric thickness that unnecessarily increases the thermal resistance of the system. The electric circuit is built onto the ceramic surface using either PVD metal sputtering followed by galvanic metal build up or conventional thick film processing. The result is a cost-effective, easy to process and use inorganic substrate with a thermal conductivity around 150 W/mK and a maximum working temperature above 350 °C. This paper will present an overview of the key electrical and thermal properties of Nanoceramic aluminium substrates and their manufacturing process. Potential use in the thermal management of high temperature electronic devices will be discussed with reference to some applications.