The knowledge to manufacture glass products is already 4500 - 5000 years old, and glass in its different compounds is one of the most commonly used man-made materials. The material technical definition of glass is loose, but, typically, inorganic products manufactured by fusing and then solidifying without crystallizing can be categorized as glasses. In the electronics industry … [Read more...]
The Thermal Conductivity of Thermal Insulators
This issue, we present an overview of a number of materials that are often used as thermal insulators. The world would have been much easier for thermal engineers if only the creator had provided us with a choice of materials showing the same range in thermal conductivity values as exists for electrical conductivity. Alas, this isn't the case. Thus, not a single one of the … [Read more...]
Future trends in heat sink design
In today's electronics equipment, total system dissipated power levels are increasing with every new design. Increases in power levels combined with the market expectation of reduced package sizes lead to heat problems that, if uncontrolled, can significantly shorten the life of the electronics. Although this "increased power - decreased size" scenario has been prevalent for … [Read more...]
Multilayer circuitry on metal substrates
Today's electronics are becoming smaller and faster, resulting in increased power densities and greater risk of thermal problems. Thermal dissipation requirements thus need to be satisfied by the use of several cooling mechanisms. The cooling systems may include conduction, convection and radiation cooling. Conduction can be the most efficient mode of heat transfer and about … [Read more...]
The thermal conductivity of aluminum oxide
Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) is an important ceramic for the electronics industry. Besides its use as a passivation layer on Silicon, the ceramic is often used as a carrier for thick and thin film passive components and for other small printed circuit boards. A relatively low cost is combined with a relatively high thermal conductivity, especially when compared to FR4 board material. … [Read more...]
