Cambridge Nanotherm, in partnership with Optocap, an advanced microelectric and optoelectronic packaging design and assembly company, has announced that the first chip-on-heatsink modules ordered have been shipped to a customer in the LED industry.
Cambridge Nanotherm’s proprietary nano-ceramic coating process is used to convert the surface of any aluminum object into a dielectric layer. In the case of the chip-on-heatsink approach, an extruded heat sink or heat pipe can be coated and then metalized with the end user’s circuit design, providing a number of benefits for LED lighting customers.
According to the company, the process provides three distinct advantages for those using conventional PCB materials and heat sinks.
“First, a cost reduction is seen by the removal of both the MCPCB and thermal interface material (TIM) components. [In addition,] the removal of these layers gives the most efficient thermal path between component and heat sink. Finally, as a result of minimizing thermal resistance, denser component layouts can be realized. For those using thick-film or thin-film metalized alumina and aluminum nitride ceramic heat sinks, the cost reduction is even more significant, while bulk thermal performance of the aluminum heat sink matches one made from aluminum nitride,” Cambridge Nanotherm said.
“We are very pleased to have Optocap as the world’s first commercial customer for the first ever chip-on-heatsink product,” the company added. Working with Optocap, we were able to demonstrate that our product has clear technological advantages as well as real commercial benefits. We believe that this technology will change the rules of the game for manufacturers, not just in the LED field, but in the electronics industry as a whole.”
