Research initiative on SiN ceramic substrates
The Japanese AIST Group (consisting of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and AIST Solutions) and NGK Insulators have embarked on joint research to validate methods for evaluating thermal diffusivity of SiN ceramic substrates used for power semiconductor components and modules.
SiN ceramic substrates play a pivotal role in Active Metal Brazing (AMB) substrates for heat dissipation in power modules in EV inverters and HEV motor control.
AMB substrates consist of a SiN ceramic substrate and two copper plates. The thinner the substrate and higher its thermal diffusivity, the greater the operational efficiency of the power semiconductor module.
With the increasing adoption of EVs and HEVs, there is rising demand for thinner substrates that feature substantial thermal dissipation performance. However, a lack of definitive methods for evaluating thermal diffusivity of substrates thinner than 0.5mm has given rise to challenges in ensuring consistency of measurement results.
This joint research enlists AIST and its knowledge of evaluation methods along with NGK and its ceramic substrate technologies in efforts to collect data for quantifying the preliminary process, which affects measurement of thermal diffusivity of substrates.
The aim is to verify methods for evaluating substrates that are thinner than 0.5mm, and are not yet defined under existing Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) in order to bring about standardisation of evaluation methods in this sector.
