Germany's CeramTec develops ceramic cooling solution for inverter power modules

According to foreign media reports, German company CeramTec has developed a ceramic cooling solution that can be used for power modules in electric vehicle drive inverters.

(Image source: CeramTec)

High-performance ceramics are particularly suitable for cooling silicon carbide field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) due to their high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and resistance to corrosion and wear. Liquid coolers use water or glycol mixtures and can achieve particularly high power densities, resulting in higher cooling capacities.

To ensure effective heat dissipation, the new generation of ceramic cooling systems uses chip-on-heatsink technology to connect the chip directly to the metallized ceramic heat sink, making it particularly close to the coolant. To achieve this, structured copper plates are installed directly in front and behind the ceramic cooler so that both sides can serve as circuit carriers for simultaneous cooling. 

陶瓷内部冷却结构设计为针翅结构，从而显著增加散热器的传热表面，并实现了针翅表面周围的理想循环。通过这种方式，使热量得到最佳消散，同时该结构增加了机械强度，可以良好吸收压力、扭转和弯曲力。 

The chip-on-seal heat sink reduces thermal resistance by half compared to conventionally constructed systems.

The heat sink is only 48x36mm, 3.6mm thick (including metallization) and weighs 10 grams. Based on the thermal characteristics, the thermal resistance of the power module with pin-fin ceramic cooler is 0.15 K*cm²/W from the design point of the chip to the cooling water.