Mentor Graphics is offering a new web-based tool for thermal characterization and design of semiconductor packages. FloTHERM® IC reduces the time spent on thermal characterization and design by providing an automated process that includes pre-verified thermal models to reduce the risk of modeling errors. The tool can also achieve reductions of up to 25 percent in the time … [Read more...]
LED Thermal Standardization: A Hot Topic
Introduction The main topic of the article is how to cope with the increasing need for standardization of thermal characterization of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and LED-based products (see Fig.1 showing a typical LED package). The LED-business is growing much faster than analysts predicted five years ago. Unfortunately, the progress in thermal characterization has not kept … [Read more...]
Numerical Simulation of Complex Submicron Devices
Introduction Significant increases in temperature are believed to contribute to losses in reliability and performance, and can present serious complications to thermal management. The net thermal effect depends on a combination of factors related to the feature size, power densities, and material properties. In semiconductor devices, higher heat flux densities can result from … [Read more...]
On The Challenges of Thermal Characterization of High-Power, High-Brightness LED Packages
Introduction In recent years, high-power, high-brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have penetrated into an ever-increasing number of lighting applications. For such devices, maintaining a low die temperature is becoming a huge challenge because of the escalating power density (e.g., 200-300 W/cm2 for the latest generation). Active cooling solutions are rarely considered as … [Read more...]
Reliability Testing Of Thermal Greases
Introduction Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) play a key role in the thermal management of electronic systems by providing a path of low thermal resistance between the heat generating devices and the heat spreader/sink. Typical TIM solutions include adhesives, greases, gels, phase change materials, pads, and solder alloys. Most TIMs consist of a polymer matrix, such as an … [Read more...]