Thermal InterfaceMaterials (TIM)
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Thermal Interface Materials at a Glance
SEMIKRON was the first power module manufacturer on the market to offer power modules with pre-applied thermal interface material. With more than two decades of field experience and more than 17 million pre-printed modules in the field, benchmarks are being set.
The modules with pre-applied TIM are printed in a clean environment on an automated and SPC controlled silkscreen and stencil printing line.
For each requirement, SEMIKRON offers the right choice of material. In addition to the standard silicone thermal grease, phase change materials and high performance thermal paste with improved thermal performance are also available. SEMIKRON offers either thermal grease or phase change materials depending on customer requirements (e.g. performance increase, reduced handling effort) and module type (with or without baseplate).
Phase change materials have a solid consistency at room temperature, fully exploiting the advantages a non-smearing TIM layer offers, with no drawbacks. Baseplate-less modules, on the other hand, usually require a lower-viscosity material to help improve robustness during assembly. Here, thermal grease is the preferred solution.
Advantages of modules with TIM applied using SEMIKRON’s automated silk screen and stencil process:
- Increased productivity thanks to reduced handling costs and improved logistics
- Low thermal resistance with optimised TIM layer thickness
- Improved lifetime and reliability
- Improved assembly robustness
- Modules can be shipped directly to the assembly line without any additional treatment processes
- Lower overall costs
High Performance Thermal Paste
Outstanding thermal performance and increased lifetime
High Performance Thermal Paste is the SEMIKRON solution to boost the performance of baseplate-less modules. The material is a silicone-based thermal grease with outstanding thermal conductivity. Replacing standard TIM materials with High Performance Thermal Paste results in either lower chip temperature and, consequently, longer power module lifetime, or it allows for higher output currents in the given application. Any combination of both benefits, longer life time and higher output current is possible as well.
A print layout developed individually for each module ensures high assembly robustness. This means it is possible to use the same assembly process irrespective of the type of thermal grease used.
Thermal Paste Key Features
- Outstanding thermal performance
- Up to 50% lower chip-to-heat sink thermal resistance than with standard TIM
- Up to 25% more module output power or up to several decades more lifetime
- Fewer manufacturing processes and lower material costs
- No need for expensive ceramic substrates such as aluminium nitride
- Excellent assembly robustness for modules without baseplate
- Proven long-term reliability without pump-out
Phase Change Material
Easier handling thanks to the dry contact surface
The waxy and dry TIM layer ensures that accidental contact does not cause any damage to the print pattern. For each module package, a specific print pattern layout is developed considering the intentional baseplate bending.
Phase Change Material Key Features
- Easy handling thanks to solid contact surfaces, no TIM layer smearing
- Optimized thickness for minimum thermal resistance
- No screw retightening required after first operation
- Up to 15% lower chip-to-heat sink thermal resistance than with standard TIM
Thermal Interface Materials
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- Product Type
- TiM
material - Weight in mg
- Thickness (after assembly) in µm
- Tolerances (+/-) in µm
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| Thermal Grease | Phase Change Material | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module family | Silicone-based Standard Grease | High Performance Thermal Paste, HPTP (silicone-based) | |
| MiniSKiiP Gen. II 0-3 | X | X | - |
| MiniSKiiP 8 | X | X | - |
| MiniSKiiP Dual 2/3 | X | X | - |
| SKiM 63/93 | X | X | - |
| SKiM 4 | X | X | - |
| SKiM 5 | - | X | - |
| SEMITOP 2/3/4 | X | X | - |
| SEMITOP E1/E2 | - | X | X |
| SEMiX 2s-4s | - | - | X |
| SEMiX 13 | - | - | X |
| SEMiX 33c | - | - | X |
| SEMiX 3 Press-Fit | - | - | X |
| SEMiX 5 | - | - | X |
| SEMiX 6 Press-Fit | - | - | X |
| SEMITRANS 2/3/4 | - | - | X |
| SEMITRANS 10 | - | - | X |
| SEMIPACK 2 | - | - | X |
Webinar: Learn how thermal interface materials work
Do you know why thermal interface materials have a critical role in power electronics applications? Join this webinar to learn how thermal interface materials work, how to choose the right material and how you can benefit from pre-applied materials in your application.
In the first part, the webinar explains the working principle of TIM. It presents and compares different materials. A special focus is set on optimizing the thermal interface material layer: the influence of material choice, layer thickness and printing pattern are discussed in detail. The webinar’s second part guides the user through the choice of the right material. It explains which material is used best for different power modules and how the user can benefit from pre-applied TIM on the power module.
Key Take-Aways
- Discover the working principles of different thermal interface materials
- Understand ways to optimize thermal interface materials’ performance
- Learn about expected performance improvements
- Find out the benefits of pre-applied thermal interface materials