High Thermal Conductivity, Multi-Layer, AlN-Based PCB Enabling Rapid Prototyping with Embedded Printed Components

Managing heat in electronics has become increasingly difficult as modern electronic systems become ever more powerful. Excess heat causes under performance and early failure in electronic devices. These issues are exacerbated in extreme environments like automobiles, aircraft and spacecraft where options for heat dissipation are limited. Electronic boards made from glass fiberepoxy resin composite FR4 are poor thermal conductors and hence further impede waste heat removal. Kuprion is developing technologies to rapidly print and assemble electronic boards using Aluminum Nitride AlN which has a thermal conductivity up to 200 times that of FR4. All heat in electronics is generated by the components mounted to the board. Providing a higher thermal conductivity platform will increase the efficiency of waste heat removal, keeping electronics cooler. This will also make better use of existing downstream thermal management systems such as heat pipes and radiators. In Phase I, Kuprion demonstrated novel and foundational technologies and processes that enable electronics board manufacturing using AlN as a substrate. By using our ActiveCopper material to print the conductive traces, we demonstrated a path to rapid prototyping and assembly. In Phase II, Kuprion and partners will design, test, and deliver a prototype AlN electronics board that could be flown on a spacecraft and reduce the overall thermal load. The objective is to deliver a technology demonstrator with data to the space community so this technology can be quickly adopted. The design will be a collaborative effort with partners in the space community to ensure the prototype addresses current pain points. Testing will include exposure to ionizing radiation to simulate the harsh environment of space. This technology has applications from earth to space. Terrestrially, this board technology can solve waste heat issues for 5G wireless base stations, electronics for oil and gas exploration, and sensors in automotive engines. In space, high thermal conductivity electronics boards could solve overheating issues that plague IR sensors on commercial and military observation platforms. With more efficient heat dissipation, satellites could either have higher capability for the same mass, or fit similar capability into a smaller envelope. Either case would provide a leap forward for space platforms of all sizes.