AlN 3D Thermal Packaging

The project goal is to demonstrate feasibility of fabricating aluminum nitride (AlN) microelectronic package substrates with integral microchannel heat transfer structure. A novel fabrication approach was demonstrated in Phase I called ceramic stereolithography (CSL), which enables monolithic fabrication of the microchannel AlN substrates. The AlN microchannel devices are suited for cooling high heat flux (10?s to 100?s W/cm2) electronic components in single phase, mechanically pumped thermal control systems. Since the successful demonstration of a single phase, mechanically pumped cooling loop on the Mars Pathfinder Mission, this type of active heat rejection system has become a candidate for future unmanned missions including missions to planets and moons, comets and asteroids, and earth orbiting missions. In comparison to two phase capillary pumped loops and loop heat pipe architectures, the single phase, mechanically pumped loops offer greater simplicity and flexibility in all aspects of the mission life cycle (design, assembly, validation, flight). Future NASA spacecraft will have to manage increasing heat flux densities from electronics, either resulting from spacecraft miniaturization or spacecraft with high power electronic systems. The AlN microchannel substrate approach represents thermal management integrated at the package level and provides a compact, low cost, high heat flux capacity solution.