A novel packaging methodology for spray cooling of power semiconductor devices using dielectric liquids

Abstract

The heat flux requirements of present power electronics systems are exceeding 100 W/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and are predicted to reach the 1000 W/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> range in the near future. Spray cooling is a cooling technology that can provide such enormous cooling demands. Direct spray cooling of power devices (e.g., IGBTs) that are conventionally wire-bonded creates long-term reliability problems. So in order to achieve the expected future heat load demands and improve the reliability of the system there is a need for novel packaging methodologies. This paper reports on an innovative packaging methodology and a test vehicle that demonstrates the potential of spray cooling power electronics. This paper describes the proposed methodology as well as the spraying parameters that affect the cooling