Next generation IC heat spreader – Malico Tungsten Copper

Next generation IC heat spreader

-

Malico Tungsten Copper

    • Tungsten Copper (W-Cu) - CNC or MIM Process

    Thermal Reliability: The last mile of IC design and packaging technology-thermal solution

    Thermal Reliability: The last mile of IC design and packaging technology-thermal solution

  • In the past, most of the packaged heat sinks were made of copper or aluminum because of high thermal conductivities and relatively low costs. However, their coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) are much higher than those of IC constructive materials. If used without proper design considerations, such a poor CTE mis-matching will inevitably result in all sorts of detrimental failure, e.g., peeling-off or deformation of IC packages. Such CTE-induced integrity degradations will definitely cause overheated chips, unreliable functions, shortened service life, and premature IC failure. It’s commonly agreed that copper or aluminum alone is not the material of choice for the packaged heat sinks.

  • With the advancement of wafer manufacturing technology, not only the die sizes have become smaller and smaller than ever, but the formation of multiple chips in single packages (e.g., SIP) have also gained popularity in the market places. Therefore, the heat source is more concentrated in IC packages, and metallic heat sinks with intrinsically high expansion coefficients are not suitable for package-level heat dissipation applications.

  • Conventionally, silicon carbide does offer a choice of material of low CTE. However, its forming process is difficult and overall production cost is high, which makes silicon carbide not an ideal package heat dissipation material for commercial applications at the mass-production scale.

  • Tungsten copper alloy (W-Cu) is a material of low expansion coefficient and high thermal conductivity. Its forming processes are simple and can be modified for various needs and requirements; and, the costs are very competitive for market commercialization. Tungsten copper alloy is definitely the most versatile heat dissipative packaging material of choice for the next generation of intensive, highly-integrated and super-speed IC packages, e.g., 5G optics, CPU/MCU, and communications.

  • After years of painstaking efforts and enormous investments, the R&D teams at Malico Inc. have successfully developed various innovative Tungsten Copper (W-Cu) materials and processes for serving all levels of heat dissipation applications with requirements of high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of expansion. We at Malico are proud humble to present to the markets the great breakthrough in the Tungsten Copper technology for the IC packaging and heat dissipation applications. Your comments and opportunities of collaboration with Malico are highly appreciated.


    • -- thermal conductivity coefficient of expansion forming cost
    tungsten copper 180~200 W/mk
    Good matching
    8.2 x 10-6/K    		 good competitive
    copper 390~420 W/mk
    Too high
    16.6 x 10-6/K    		 fair competitive
    aluminum 200~220 W/mk
    Too high
    25.0 x 10-6/K    		 good competitive
    silicon carbide 340 W/mk
    Good matching
    4.0 x 10-6/K    		 difficult expensive

    Revolutionary breakthrough in

    Tungsten Copper alloy material forming

    Malico’s W-Cu (Tungsten Copper) heat spreader

    Revolutionary breakthrough in

    Tungsten Copper alloy material forming

    Malico’s W-Cu (Tungsten Copper) heat spreader

    • Maximize surface area for IC package
    • Low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
    • High thermal conductivity
    • Also available in Copper and Aluminum
    • Plating options: Gold, Nickel or anodization

    IC Package heat spreader manufacturing technology big breakthrough – surface area

    IC Package heat spreader manufacturing technology big breakthrough – surface area

  • With the advancement of wafer manufacturing technology, die sizes have become significantly smaller to allow the heat source to become more concentrated.  Traditional heat spreader materials, copper or aluminum, no longer meet the needs of package heat dissipation.  The only way to increase surface area within a confined IC package is to add fins (or pins). 

  • Traditional heat spreaders, which are made by a stamping process, can only bend the material so that it can not add fins to increase the surface area (See pictures).

  • Another important criteria for IC heat spreader is its Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE).   If the heat spreader CTE does not match IC packaging's,  the two will become detached when IC operates in temperature, due to the different rates of expansion.  An ideal IC heat spreader should not only have added surface area, but it should also be a good CTE match with ceramics. 

  • After years of hard work, Malico Inc. company's R&D team has successfully developed a Tungsten Copper (W-Cu) heat dissipation material with high thermal conductivity and low coefficients for expansion, which could satisfy both single chip packaging and multi-chip packaging requirements.   In addition, Malico Inc.'s micro forge manufacturing process could form the fins during the Tungsten Copper forging process!  This is most certainly a breakthrough within the field of IC heat spreader packaging industry.

    • BGA heat spreader ( MIM W-Cu parts )
    BGA heat spreader ( stamping parts )
    -- Footprint Pin number Surface area Pitch
    MIM W-Cu 15x15mm 400 pins 808mm² 0.75mm
    Stamping 15x15mm 0 225mm² 0
    QFP
    Flip chip
  • We can provide support from engineering sample productions to small and high volume productions. Our engineering team will work with you to provide design suggestions and DFM feedback. We are here to assist our customers with the time to market, the time to volume and cost reduction.

    • Please contact us at
    inquiry@malico.com

    Download SPEC. PDF