Thermal performance of double-sided SMT capacitors: Operation and soldering

This manuscript investigates thermal performance of x-dimension (x-dim) passive components, during operation and soldering by means of 3D FEM thermal simulations and experiments. X-dim components feature standardized height, double-sided SMT terminations, and improved thermal behaviour and can be stacked between PCBs to achieve 3D spatial layout. During components operation, standard passives with different shapes are suitable for convection- while x-dim components with standardized geometry, for conduction-heat transfer from their surfaces. Conduction heat transfer is found to be more effective than convection, especially for passives inside a sealed enclosure. Further, the paper shows how x-dim components can be utilized for the heat conduction from other passives in a stacked assembly. With respect to reflow soldering of passives, phase-change- is clearly identified as superior over convection-heat transfer. Phase-change soldering is, through number of thermal simulations and experiments, proven to be effective for soldering of power passive x-dim components.