The reliability and durability of electrical and electronic components are affected by temperature. A temperature issue is usually the cause of a gadget malfunction.
The market need for ever-smaller and -denser semiconductor chips compels manufacturers to produce semiconductor equipment that pushes the limits of present capabilities while requiring precision engineering for reliable outcomes. “Within the electronics space, for both materials and thermal management, a critical factor is cost-effectiveness,” said Steve Amos, senior specialist in the 3M Advanced Materials Division, in an interview with Power Electronics News. “That’s not as straightforward as just thinking about the cost of materials. It’s thinking about the utilization of materials, how much is used, and its performance versus the cost. For example, while some advanced materials are more expensive, their performance enables using much less volume or mass. I am thinking of ceramic fibers compared with glass fibers, boron nitride compared with graphite, or glass bubbles compared with solid silica. A cost-benefit analysis needs to be performed to make the best choice instead of just comparing price tags.”
High temperature: negative effects
The reliability and durability of electrical and electronic components are affected by temperature. A temperature issue is usually the cause of a gadget malfunction. Increased circuit temperatures can induce premature equipment aging, whereas low temperatures can encourage condensation development, which can damage electronics and cause corrosion. Power and high temperatures are inextricably linked. In every system, a small part of the power is transformed into unused heat. This is the case with power circuits, inverters, converters, choppers, and power supplies in which a high amount of heat is produced, especially if they have not been properly designed.
The systems will function at lower temperatures with more efficiency if the power devices are developed with excellent construction standards, in conformity with regulations, following operating limitations, employing rapid switching components, and having minimal heat dissipation. The loss of efficiency is one of the most serious consequences of high temperatures in electrical circuits. Integrated circuits and electronic components, in general, are harmed by high temperatures. High temperatures not only render the system insecure, but they also shorten the average life of the components, causing them to deteriorate.
Thermal management
Proper thermal management of electronic components and circuits is a fundamental requirement to ensure the correct operation and reliability of the system in all operating conditions. The current trend toward progressive miniaturization of electronic devices, followed by the increasing demand for power density, puts the issue of thermal management in the foreground, especially for the latest-generation power devices.
“At a systems level, miniaturization and getting the mass of devices down significantly is already being looked at,” said Amos. “Less thermal mass should make thermal management easier.”
Moreover, according to Amos, some of the biggest challenges affecting the electronics industry today are around supply chains and material supply: “We’ve seen demand increase and supply disruptions of long, less nimble supply chains. I would encourage OEMs to consider new sources of supply, more regional and qualifying alternative materials they may have had in a pipeline but never had a reason to pursue further.”
5G and high-power markets do drive different substrate and material considerations, as they are dealing with different challenges. “5G is dealing with getting to cost-effective lower-loss materials, while high power is dealing with thermal management,” said Amos. “3M is happy to help customers meet these challenging material demands.”
Thermal analysis of electrical devices is an indispensable step to ensure stability to the system, and it’s more important with miniaturized and high-performance devices. Thermal analysis generally calculates the ranges of working conditions and the heat conduction between the parts. The designers study the hot air path to avoid air pockets trapped in the circuit. The heat can be dissipated both through forced convection by the fans and through natural convection. The functioning of the electronic energy transformation circuits depends on the calculations made by the designers. One of the biggest challenges for electronic designers is to reproduce or simulate the most severe operating conditions, which are those in which electronic devices are subjected to high thermal stress.