Heat sinks offer high performance and low weight

Paul Boughton
Titanium composite technology can produce electronic packages that are stronger and more reliable than aluminium alternatives. However, titanium's thermal dissipation characteristics are inadequate for some applications. PA&E offers engineers the option of using integrated molybdenum/copper (MoCu) heat sinks and now, for applications where weight is a primary consideration, the company is offering an aluminum/silicon-carbide (AlSiC) heat sink option.

AlSiC offers thermal properties similar to those of MoCu at 180-200W/mK, but is one-third to one-fifth as dense, resulting in significant weight savings. The implementation process begins during the initial design phase, when the package's electronic circuitry is mapped against the housing floor and where locations that will be exposed to the highest temperatures are identified. The AlSiC composite heat sinks are then metallurgically bonded to the housing only in the locations where the housing comes into contact with the high-power devices. This limited use of the heat sink material minimises the overall mass of the package. The package is then machined, finished and plated with no visible signs of the heat sinks on the finished product.

Since titanium composite material does not require mould tooling or diamond machining, it can be incorporated into new designs with only a very limited requirement for nonrecurring tooling, making the prototype phase more economical than would be possible with competitive technologies. Those characteristics, combined with the low co-efficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and high thermal conductivity, mean that AlSiC heat sinks provide a rugged, reliable, high-performance electronic packaging alternative.

For more information, visit www.pacaero.com