Thermal specifications and properties of electronic components and materials (Part 1)

1. CONFORMITY WITH THE WORK PROGRAMME

This topic falls under the Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme, generic activity Measurement and Testing.  Specifically, it is related to Objective GROW-2000-6.2.1 Methodologies to Support Standardisation and Community Policies for which expressions of interest have been called.

2. KEYWORDS

Thermal specification, thermal design, electronic component, modelling, thermal interface, properties of materials, design rule, test method, standardisation.

3. SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES AND JUSTIFICATION

Controlled thermal design of electronic equipment is currently a very important area of electronic design. This is because the dissipated power densities of modern electronic chips have now reached such a high level that advanced heat transfer systems are needed. However there currently exists very little standardised information about the thermal properties of various electronic components and materials, or the test methods for verify¬ing these thermal properties.

With the new standardised specifications, models and test methods the users and designers of electronic equipment could get better, compatible and more realistic description of the thermal behavior of electronic equipment. Design time reduction and better accuracy can be achieved by using more effective and harmonized thermal models and specifications of electronic components and of heat conducting materials.

4. BACKGROUND

Controlled thermal design of electronic equipment is currently a very important area of electronic design. This is because the dissipated power densities of modern electronic chips have now reached such a high level that advanced heat transfer systems are needed.
However, there currently exists very little standardised information about the thermal properties of various electronic components and materials, or the test methods for verify¬ing these thermal properties. In CENELEC there are no standards for the thermal design of electronic equipment and components.

With regard to standardisation, the technical development of thermal models for compo-nents, and thermal simulation methods are advanced enough, to be used for better

thermal specifications for electronic components. Recent studies performed in Europe by DELPHI and SEED projects (DELPHI = Development of Libraries of Physical models for an Integrated design environment, SEED = Supplier Evaluation and Exploitation of DELPHI, SEED is European ESPRIT project) and the published documents by JEDEC and SEMI will help when starting specification work at CENELEC. In the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) there are not any activities on this area yet.

The information sources of thermal data for the manufacturer of electronic equipment are material suppliers and component suppliers. Using both of these channels the equipment designer should get reasonable thermal data. To improve this data flow from supplier to equipment manufacturer, some standardised specification system is needed. CENELEC is the most suitable organisation to co-ordinate this task.

On the following page there is a key figure illustrating ideas on how to manage the basic thermal design specification parameters which should be addressed when specifying an elec-tronic component. In these specifications it is very important, to cover all the applicable heat transfer mechanisms: thermal conduction, convection and radiation.

It is also important to describe every component type by the actual feasible method (which is also measurable) to be used in verification of given parameter values in various models.

How to manage thermal properties of electronic components?

Click here to find out more about thermal design.