Co-fired AlN–TiN assembly as a new substrate technology for high-temperature power electronics packaging

New wide-band gap semiconductors (SC) for power electronics such as SiC, GaN and diamond will allow higher power densities, leading to higher operating temperatures. However, the surrounding materials will also undergo an increase in temperature, meaning that a parallel effort is needed in SC packaging technologies research. One of the essential components, the substrate, is used to insulate electrically the SC from the rest of the system, drain the generated heat and provide a path to connect the SC to the rest of the system. Direct bonded copper (DBC) and active metal-brazed (AMB) substrates have limited temperature and cycling operation, owing to the large differences in the thermal expansion coefficients between the ceramics and the metals. In this work we propose a new and original substrate technology based on two co-sintered ceramics: an insulating ceramic (AlN) and a conductive one (TIN). The microstructure, the chemical compatibility and the electrical properties indicate that the proposed substrate could operate at a temperature above 200 °C the current substrate technologies, which makes it particularly attractive for high-temperature power electronics applications.