Temperature Dependence of Thermal Conductivity of Electronic Ceramics by an Improved Flash Diffusivity Technique

Abstract

AbstractThe thermal conductivity of ceramic materials used for IC substrates and packages has increased in importance as chip sizes have decreased and heat loads have risen. AIN which has a room temperature (RT) thermal conductivity (λ) greater than 200 W/m·K and BeO with λ(RT) ∼260 W/m·K are the major candidates for applications demanding high conductivity. Conflicting reports of the temperature dependences of λ for these materials over the range of interest for packaging use (≤200°C) have been published, with some reports suggesting a crossover in λ. These reported differences may be due to the reported problems in measuring λ in AIN using the flash diffusivity method. For the present experiments, we have used a new long wavelength laser flash diffusivity system which has been shown to determine thermal diffusivity to better than ± 3% for AIN with sample thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 5 mm. No absorbinq coatings are required and no correction factors are needed to fit the data to theory. We report λ from room temperature to 400°C for AIN from a number of commercial sources, and for BeO and SiC. At room temperature, BeO has the highest thermal conductivity, but as the temperature is raised, the values for BeO and AIN approach one another, with crossover observed at about 350°C for the highest conductivity AIN sample studied. Recent steady state heat flow measurements agree with our thermal conductivity values rather than with previous literature values.