Investigations in the Optimization of Power Electronics Packaging through Additive Plasma Technology

Due to thermomechanical stresses at high temperatures and harsh environments, the interconnections between the substrate and the components in power electronics exhibit failure modes at temperatures >130°C. This contribution introduces the concept of additive plasma metallization technology for the optimization of interconnections in electronics for reliable usage up temperatures >300°C. Through the formation of intermetallic phases, diffusion soldered interconnections were realized by melting of solder paste with plasma based copper powder coating. The integration of the Plasmadust® technology into standard production process delivers highly reliable interconnections with better resource management. The interconnections were characterized by building power electronic modules to demonstrate the advantages compared to state-of-the-art technologies. The potential of the Plasmadust® process for power electronic production and further chances in component modification are discussed.