Advanced Materials for Thermal Management in III-Nitride LEDS

High-brigntess LEDs, used in general lighting applications today, are limited in luminous output by their ability to manage heat and light efficiency simultaneously. Advanced material systems are sought to improve the thermal conduction of heat from the LED to the environment. By demonstrating improved thermal management while maintaining good optical charactersitics, these advanced material systems may enable the energy-efficient adaptation of exisitng III-LED dies into viable chips and devices, without a need to change established production processes for making the dies. This project will develop a unique packaging material with high conducivity (greater than 300 W/mK) and low density (less than 2.2 g/cm3) and demonstrate it in III-LED applications. The specific appoach is to develop an advanced, high-conductivity printed-wiring-board (PWB) system, compatible with current LED dies and mounting methods. Phase I will determine the feasibility of integrating high conductivity material into printed wiring boards (PWB), in order to provide an efficient thermal path for cooling the die. Key design, fabrication, and performance characteristics will be established. The thermal conducitivity, stiffness, denstiy, and cycle fatigue will be determined. Phase II will involve the construction, demonstration, and quantification of the perfromance of an actual, high-conducivity wiring board, integrated with an LED array. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: All LED lighting systems require an electrical interconnect system, the most common being the PWB. By incorporating thermal management into the PWB, the need for parasitic heat sinks will be eliminated, resulting in lower part counts, cost savings, and increased performance.