In the power electronics world, Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) is the primary substrate technology. In this paper, we will discuss an alternative technology utilizing screen printable copper pastes (Thick Printed Copper - TPC) on a variety of substrate technologies including Alumina (Al_2O_3) and Aluminum Nitride (AlN). These materials when processed, look and perform similar to DBC, but exhibit superior reliability and excellent design flexibility. DBC has drawbacks when it comes to thermal mechanical reliability and lacks the flexibility to have multiple copper thicknesses for power and signal circuits within the same design, which is easily achieved via screen printing. The benefits of this TPC system will be demonstrated through data generated on passive thermal shock tests in comparison to high end DBC. Furthermore, this Thick Print Copper technology has the excellent potential for replacing high end Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (MCPCB) technology due to utilization of higher thermal conductive dielectric materials like Al_2O_3 and AlN. This will allow for designers to drive their LED's harder and effectively producing LED modules with higher power densities.
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